the twilight zone

PureBikes Greed SL - Review

2011-09-22T03:27:00.000-07:00

I received the official NTU road frame 3 weeks ago from PureBikes. Aptly named "Greed SL" for all those no-compromise roadies out there who want :

1) Low weight
2) Stiffness
3) high quality material (it uses the same carbon fibre you get in the Giant TCR Advanced)
4) sex-appeal

at an incredible price. This is my third road bike to date, having owned an old Trek 1000 and a 2009 Fuji Roubaix Pro (half carbon). All bikes have been equipped with the exact same Shimano 105-5600 i bought 2nd hand off a friend in the cycling team a year and a half ago. Bearing this in mind, my opinion on the quality of the frame is as pure as can be (no pun intended).

I built up the frame with a 5600 Shimano 105 gruppo, Fulcrum Racing 5 wheels, Ritchey seatpost, Token Saddle and cheap plastic water bottle holders. Nothing fancy at all.

The first ride was amazing. The frame was stiff, responsive and every pedal stroke kept pushing the bike forward. Gone was the sluggish response I had experienced with my earlier 2 bikes.

This bike is built like Ulrich. BEEFY! Everything about this frame is huge! The massive bottom bracket, the beefy chain stays and the thick fork all scream "STIFFNESS!". And from the 300km i've clocked on it (from secret rides mostly), it certainly is. Its extremely neat as well. Internal routing does away with unsightly cables running down the tubes and gives it a sleek look.

I even pimped it out for a ride using a pair of Zipp 606s I borrowed and this bike was even faster. My unfit body could propel it easily at 33-35kph and I bet with a slicker set of wheels and a fitter body, I could hold 37kph , 40kph easily if I were drafting a peloton.

Wen Jie, the other cyclist in the team currently riding this frame could hold the bike at 40kph in Tuas. Now he's small, so that speaks volumes about the power transfer from the pedals to the wheels.

Comfort wise, let me be frank. I ride the Kranji Loop frequently (part of my secret training route) and you'd know that Neo-Tiew is littered with speed strips and potholes and bumps. My old frames had a very harsh ride, so much so that I'd be off the saddle the minute i saw any non-even surface. The Greed SL on the other hand simply soaks up road vibration making it extremely comfortable. I'd use it for a fast ride as well as a 300km long distance tour.

I will be racing in KL in October during the OCBC Cycle Malaysia and I can't be any happier doing so on the Pure Greed SL.

If you're looking for a stiff, light and fast frameset with sick graphics and sex appeal that does not break the bank, look no further than the Pure Greed SL.

Singapore 2010 Logo Launch Mechanism - Behind backstage!

2010-07-30T11:50:00.000-07:00

Memories =D ...................

Finally, a direction!

2010-07-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

I've been a tad bit lost for the past few months in terms of knowing what i want to do upon graduation. The initial plan was the graduate with a BEng (Mech) and apply for a job in Singapore as a project engineer, but after a mind numbing, excruciating internship, i've come to grips with one fact about myself :

I CANNOT DO THAT FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE

It started out well, new things, having a learning curve, and then came the excruciating boredom. The lack of a thought process in what i was doing for the past 6 months, the daily grind of doing the same thing. Perhaps research would have been more exciting but i'm not the type of person to slave away at a single project for months without seeing some personal gain in it for myself. Call me selfish, but its how i operate.

Then i decided to go start the process of applying to do and MBA, it being one of those exceedingly versatile degrees, widely applicable in any industry which deals with strategic thinking, people and how to conduct business. And then i hit yet another problem. I had no idea what i wanted to do once i got an MBA. Work for a bank? (Ugh, good money but its not for me), high flying CEO job? (too little time left over for personal hobbies when i have shareholders to consider, please correct me if my perception of this is wrong if you happen to be a CEO reading this).

And then i started reading up articles on consulting companies, oil trading, energy management and chancing across companies like Boston Consulting Group (BCG), McKinsey and British Petroleum, all offering MBA holders with engineering backgrounds company fellowships and work which require thinking on day to day basis. An oil trader for BP comes in every morning, pores over notes and news for the day and then strategises his trading for the day to maximise profit.

A BCG consultant for example goes over a clients business practice, down to even the positioning of sales counters in a particular store (assuming client is in retail) and uses human behavioral science and relations between sales figures and payment counter locations to maximise profit for the client.

I find these very interesting, and if an MBA opens those door for me even wider, hell, i'm going for it.

Now's the time my real education begins.

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Appeal to fellow foodies!

2010-06-14T23:06:00.000-07:00

Sin Huat Eating House's Crab Bee Hoon

I have been dying to try out this place in Geylang, Singapore. Pity about the 5 star prices of :

SGD 72 - Crab Bee Hoon

SGD42 - 6 steamed Tiger Prans, yes ONLY 6!!!

SGD25/kilo - Gong Gongs with an awesome chili dipping sauce the towkay takes a day to prepare, even closing his restaurant to concentrate on it.

I mean, come on, this place seems to ring all the right bells.

I now humbly appeal to food lovers out there to help me enjoy a meal at this place. Dissipation of cost or sponsorship is most welcome.

Cheers from the,

Matrix

People, Work and the Quality of Life

2010-05-29T18:42:00.000-07:00

I love talking to people and finding out more about them. Their views on issues, their backgrounds, their lives, their family and most important of all, their quality of life.

My favourite people to chat up are usually cab drivers. Being locked in a metal box for 30mins does not permit escape from me and my sometimes rather inquisitive tongue ( I do not mean it in THAT way, if you know what i mean ).

A cabbie's life in Singapore is pretty much standard. He/She usually shares a cab with another driver, usually a younger one who does the night driving. Its to offset the SGD86 per day rental for those old toyota cabs and SGD120+ for the faster and more powerful Hyundai Sonatas. Have not chatted up a Merc or a Chrysler cabbie.

I took a cab back last night from a bar and I had the most interesting chat with an old malay cabbie. He surprised me with exceptionally well polished manners and style of speaking. His voice was uber smooth and he spoke with an air of a person with very high self esteem, someone who has achieved something and is proud of it.

I talked to him and learnt he has 4 kids, all above 25, very well educated and successful. The oldest was offered a seat in the NUS medical school and currently works at NUH. The second is a trained electronics engineer working as a senior product engineer at Accenture, one of the world's largest tech consultation company. The third is doing a PhD in the US and the youngest daughter is a lawyer.

The conversation became awkward when i asked him why none of his kids were taking care of him. He was a really small man with wrinkles and white whisps of hair on his head. He shrugged and the car turned silent for the remainder of the journey.

It disgusted me. For all i care, his kids were not successful as he thinks they are, their failure at expressing gratitude and love for a person who had worked so hard, and is still working hard to raise them is inexcusable.

What is society coming to when morals and the value of family is overlooked in the pursuit of personal agendas and happiness?

Matrix

Playtime's Over, lets get serious

2010-05-29T03:17:00.000-07:00

Another teary goodbye...

I'm getting pretty serious about cycling now. Was out with Sher Han on an unplanned 70km ride yesterday and the limitations of my much loved Trek was apparent on the steep slope of Mt Faber and the sluggish feeling of the frame on the sprints along LCK and in Mandai.

High time i got myself something lighter and stiffer, yet comfy enough for long rides and it musn't be all carbon fibre. Most important of all, the scrooge in me demanded an awesome bike for below SGD800.

Behold :

2009 Fuji Roubaix RC

I located the frame going for SGD500 on the second hand market. Knocked the price down to SGD450 after weeks of thinking and trying to look for something better after which purchasing would leave my bank account at a healthy balance. The Cervelo S1 was my initial target, but with framesets going for SGD1000 second hand, it was a tad bit too rich for my taste. And besides, as I had planned to transfer the old yet reliable Shimano 105 gruppo from the Trek, the Cervelo wasn't my choice in the end. A frame like that deserves better components and future Yuva will see to that.

The weight weenie bug bit me when i went down to inspect the frame. Settled on getting a new aluminium seat post and handlebar to replace the steel bits i had on the Trek. Though a far cry from the carbon fibre stuff, u can't complain about something picked up for less than SGD35 each.

Got new blinkers too, wanted to replace the bashed up stuff on the Trek. Requested the mechanic to do a thorough degreasing and polishing of the gruppo before assembly and one of his buddies offered to do a proper bike fit for me.

As a cherry on the cake, I got matching red Panaracers. Slick ones in hopes of me going faster, though with the limitation of not being to ride in the rain. Not that I should too anyway.

Looking forward to an awesome summer of racing, riding, studying and starting my FYP!

Its awesome when you have goals to work towards.

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Its been a while.....

2010-04-29T05:33:00.000-07:00

This blogs taken a back burner to pretty much everything else for the past month or two.

Its been quite a roller coaster of a month, what with upping my cycling frequency and juggling 2 projects, my IA Final Report (80 done!) at work. Just completed one awesomely long and complicated C program that's been sent over to be used in a gas power plant in Bangkok and if it weren't for this whole Red Shirt fiasco, i'd be flying to Thailand before the end of my internship. The program's a beauty. It estimates the performance of the power plant in real time, with a 2 minute cycle in between computations. And i also included a sweet graphical user interface to make it user friendly :

where the plant operators enter manual values for different plant operating conditions.

Damn.....

I have come to realise one thing during my internship.

I HATE WORKING FOR AND ANSWERING TO SOMEONE.

Seriously, working for someone sucks. You don't have the luxury to fiddle and really think out a problem when someone is always breathing down your neck, pushing you to set unrealistic deadlines and constantly checking up on you everyday.

I may be an intern, but come on, when i say once that i know what i am doing, please just trust me and leave me alone until I deliver. Crucify me later if i fail, but don't come breathing down my neck every damn day.

On that note, I have decided to apply to Harvard's and MIT's business schools. Both have very good MBA programs which include a 6 month internship and loads of networking opportunities. MIT has an awesome dual degree program which combines engineering and management.

I'll be honest here, all I ever want is just a good balance in my everyday life. I want time to enjoy my hobbies, cycling being the major one. And i can't get that sort of time in a 9-5 job which requires me to rush projects constantly.

I have done 32 hours of OT this month alone, and i'm not the hardest working intern at my work place. I am so going to be pissed if i don't get an A for my IA.

I mean, whats the point of working if you don't get to enjoy life? I enjoy kicking back with a beer and a good book or melting my legs on an all out bicycle sprint with friends on a weeknight after work.

I was toying with the idea of applying for the various graduate fellowships NTU keeps emailing me about, but research has never been my passion. I don't enjoy researching something that probably won't earn make it to the industry any time soon. Perhaps pharmaceuticals is a hot research area with rapid product movement form lab to marketplace, but not robotics.

Cheers from the,

Matrix

RIP Ben Mok

2010-04-05T09:32:00.000-07:00

For one who truly knew why we do what we do.

RIP Ben Mok

I get bewildered stares from my mates as they try to decipher the money and time spent on the sport. All for the pain, the risk for what seems like a futile effort at reducing emissions. For all you hippies, its not what its all about. We ride for the joy, the satisfaction after overcoming pain and lactic acid to keep up with the pack, scale a mountain, pushing when mere mortals would simply give up and fall back.

Noone will ever understand cycling except the men and women who burn rubber on the tarmac, the dirt, the mud and the pavement. Don't even try to.

I never knew Ben Mok. Nor will I pretend i heard of his name before this tragedy. I'm not a vengeful person, but for that drunk driver who mowed him down, may the rest of your life be one filled with misery and regret.

I once again sound out a plea to drivers. Give us quarter. Cause if you don't, you'll probably have our blood on your hands.

Link to the memorial website

balancing 15 books on my head, reciting pi to the 100th digit, and solving a rubik's cube.

2010-03-28T02:49:00.001-07:00

Check out awesomely, fantablulous, rocks my world to the core, melts titanium with pure awesome-ness, melts my brains, eats candy bars, then vomits out even better candy bars, 007 coolness, sports red farrari boots, GIRL!

Woman, i am in love with you.

Scrooge Mc-Yuva's take on the Shimano 105

2010-03-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

I bought a totally beat up 2 year old 105 complete groupset from Amreet a few months back and have clocked almost 1000km on the setup already.

Shifting wise, rear shifting is fast, smooth and precise. However i still do not enjoy the upshifting using the big throwbacks on the big levers. It jumps waaay to many gears at once and it takes some control to shiftup one gear at a time. Downshifting is v good though.

Crankset shifting is not good. I'll be honest. My old Sora's crankset shifting was more responsive. I takes two throws to shift completely to the smaller chain ring, and even then the throwing isn't uber smooth. I'm not sure if the age of the gruppo is a factor.

Weight isn't an issue. I mean, the Trek's already sporting steel bits and pieces, so the 105 was defintely an upgrade.

I have had the pleasure of test riding an Ultegra 6700 and a Dura Ace 7800 bike and obviously they kick 105's all the way to the moon. However, DA and Ultegra? No noticeable difference, unless you count weight savings. Am not pro enough to comment on stiffness and power transfer though i feel the Ultegra crank is slightly more balanced than the 105's.

Price wise, if you're buying a complete bike, and its your first, I recommend the new Tiagra gruppo. If you want a 10 speeder, go for the 105.

If you're custom building a serious racer, do not even look at the 105. Pay a few hundred more and get the Ultegra. Better resale value too. I would not pay more than 350 for a second hand 105 groupset (not including chain and BB).

Bottom line. If you want the thrills of a 10speeder and you're not going to race, 105 all the way.

Aight, that's enough bike talk.

Full Damage Breakdown :

Gruppo : SGD280
105 pedals : SGD80
105 chain : SGD40
Buildup with new BB and bartape : SGD70
Frame and old Ultegra + Sora : SGD400
Time RXT shoes : SGD130
Misc : SGD50
Jamis sold for : - SGD300

GRAND TOTAL INVESTED : SGD 750 for 1000km of thrills

So totally worth it

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Scrooge Mc-Yuva

2010-03-19T20:51:00.000-07:00

S-Works Specialized Shiv. I want one so bad my tooth hurts

I've decided not to participate in next week's 36km Time Trial along Changi Coastal. Right, some background for readers not familiar with cycling.

Time Trialling is kind of like a solo race against the clock. Fastest between 2 points of about 40km wins. Quite naturally you need special equipment for it. A Time Trial or a TT bike. It differs from a tradition road bike in 2 senses. The geometry puts the rider in a lower and more forward position. Your back is almost horizontal when you ride a TT bike. And its more aerodynamic than a road bike (though now the difference is becoming increasingly blurred).

The result is , you ride about 2kph faster, more if you're a really good rider. And that's a lot of time saving. The bike is highly unstable though, try riding with your arms tucked into your shoulders at 35kph and you'll know what i'm talking about. I've only ever tried a TT bike once, and its a crap ride. Painful, scarily unstable, BUT OH MY GOD ITS FAST ON THE STRAIGHTS!

You need to go on to the drops on a roadie and come out of your saddle to sprint, and you don't last. On a TT bike, you sprint more slowly but you can maintain a higer speed for an extended period.

Aight, enough bike-talk.

The point is, the race costs 40 bucks and well i don't get much fun out of it apart from a goody bag, and a sense of accomplishment. That works for quite a number of people, but i really want more bang for my buck.

I am a scrooge what.

And so i'm going to be going for the Sprint Challenge. 500 m drag race between 2 racers. I will almost def be bombed out, but oh my, its going to be more fun than the TT race.

On an off note, life is just awesome now. True true, i have an anal boss who pretty much makes my job which is really interesting kind of stressful, but it rocks to come back and just do what you like after work. Group of solo rides, dinner outside after, movies, weekend plans, its awesome.

OH, on another note, i'm finding it really easy to talk to women now. I don't mean my friends, but random people. The formula is simple:

1) Smile and don't look like you're about to eat her

2) Confidence. Once you're at a stage where you don't care what she think about this random chap talking to her, its pretty much smooth sailing.

3) Say bye once you've run out of conversation topics even if its after a couple of seconds. If she's interested, she'll try to keep you around. No loss if you strike out, plenty more fish out there.

Cheers from the,

Matrix

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass - Rube Goldberg Machine version - Official

2010-03-19T09:23:00.001-07:00

FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!

Gorillaz - Stylo (Full Version HD Music Video Clip) - Works in All Countries

2010-03-17T00:38:00.001-07:00

good stuff

Keane - Somewhere Only We Know (US Edition)

2010-03-06T06:06:00.001-08:00

This song is stuck in my head. Enjoy =)

Matrix

Its going to be an interesting day...

2010-03-04T16:30:00.000-08:00

I'm sitting at a Starbucks near gate C3 (freeloading actually on the wifi and seats without buying anything) waiting for my flight out to Singapore from KL. Being back, even if it was for only 2 days was awesome. Good food, taking care of sister (its not bad at all, we watched a movie and all) and air conditioned room comforts.

I will be at work within the next 3 hours, to meet a deadline for this power plant optimisation software set by my boss. Plant's up and running in Vietnam and i really hope to be able to go on site (i think i will actually seeing noone else apart from my partner and me know how to handle anything in this project).

Today will end with an awesome thigh burning workout on the mongrel bike around NTU before dinner to whip myself into shape for a ride to Faber and to burn the calories i've been packing in since i got home 2 days ago.

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Controversy

2010-03-04T00:36:00.000-08:00

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AIDS

Yeah, you just read it here. I recently chanced across an advertisement for a programme debunking AIDS. I ran a google search and came up with this:

The Big Lie About Aids

Of course, the fact that this article was published in a 1994 softporn magazine (Penthouse) didn't help much in its credibility. But i was still very interested. So i dug somemore and i came up with this:

HIV Is Not The Cause Of AIDS

This particular article is from an Orgone Biophysical Research Lab. Now i googled this lab to see if it is in fact a recognised facility. It didn't help that the website looked like something from the 10th century Internet and that this was a "non-profit" facility.

I was by this point losing interest in establishing credibility of my source and proceeded to keep googling for this controversy.

In short i can sum it up in one sentence:

HIV and AIDS allegedly do not go hand in hand. HIV is not the cause of AIDS and AIDS is merely a name given to old diseases such as pneumonia which HIV positive people happen to have.

The following equation simplifies this:

no HIV+pneumonia = pneumonia

HIV+pneumonia = AIDS

I think this warrants further digging up eh?

Anti-evolution activists in the US, who have for years been trying to ban Darwin's teachings in the classroom have launched a new offensive. You see, the US constitution clearly states that the Church and State is seperate, however, these chaps are now tyring to play the "freedom of academia" card.

Now I won't say that evolution is 100% correct. However, it is the most highly likely theory behind the big question of how we came to be. Natural Selection is supported by established biologists whom had to face scrutiny, cross examination and years of research.

The Church on the other hand plies its trade via a book written by man which claims the Earth was created by divine intervention and Intelligent Design.

Given these 2 theories to choose, i'd choose the one that had to undergo the most scrutiny, unless of course the big man/woman him/herself came down and knocked in my head with a hammer made of lightning and burnt Darwin books. Then i'll kneel and say, "Amen".

I then started thinking of running with the herd. Is it always such a bad thing? I mean, yeah, you can get yourself a Blackberry just to acting like everyone else and buying and iPhone. But truth be told, an iPhone is by far the best interfaced gizmo i've used in years. Its really that good.

This has been rather a random post eh?

Cheers from the,

Matrix

In this onslaught of Feminish, Real Men are quickly becoming a dying specie

2010-03-01T05:54:00.001-08:00

Real Men are not scruffy, untidy, beer guzzling louths who have total disrespect for society, rules , women and overindulge in blatant and reckless macho-ness.

Real Men exude class, integrity and above all, they aren't pussies. Real men are not feminists, nor support feminism. Real men do not indulge women and their games of cat and mouse with men over sexism and chauvinism. Real men know how to lead and take charge. Real men are confident.

Feminism is highly over rated and Oprah Winfrey needs to just roll over and die (i'm speaking about her show, not her soul).

For years women have been "making up for lost opportunity and inequality" caused by men and society of yester-years with this concept of feminism. It was all good, what with the whole "strong confident woman" and "equal opportunites as men" and with an uprise in Women's Rights over the past 3 decades to the point i can safely say a woman in today's world is no different from a man, except that part about physical strength and a penis which only comes with testosterone and that's something we can't be fair about.

Back in the Nineties, emboldened by the successes of feminism, women sought to slay the dragon of patriarchy by turning men into ridiculous cissies who would cry with them through chick-flicks and then cook up a decent lasagne.

Suddenly, women wanted to drive home their newfound equality by moulding men to be more like them.

This velvet revolution was reflected in a series of broader cultural changes. After decades of uncompromising movie heroes like Marlon Brando and Clint Eastwood, we were asked to fall for stuttering, floppy-haired fops like Hugh Grant; touchy-feely and hopelessly embarrassed around women.

These are cardboard cut-out men who gush with empathy whenever their wives and girlfriends need to dump their professional stresses and female angst on them: weak and soulless men who haven't the guts to make a mark themselves, who take the passenger seat in their women's juggernaut journey to post-feminist Nirvana.

Men are now generally terrified of women. They hold their tongues for fear of being misinterpreted as sexist; they constantly attempt to secondguess their partner in order to avoid giving offence.

They preen themselves with groaning shelves full of beauty products so they won't incur derision and scorn. They suppress their masculinity and present themselves as cuddly Mr Nice Guys, and won't project self- confidence in case it's regarded as unreconstructed machismo.

This backfiring feminist conspiracy has, of course, developed hand in hand with the march of raging political correctness all over the world. The two have combined like some potent chemical reaction to explode in the faces of a generation of women who thought that a 'moulded' man would make for a desirable one.

In recent years, men have been trained like circus seals to be inoffensive to women, and no longer know how to entice them and turn them on.

Women THINK they know what they want. A moulded man. But in reality, a man with a swagger, great confidence and has genuine respect for her without being a total doormat pussy who'd do anything for her is what a woman needs.

Real men don't pretend or even try to understand women. They simply love them for being the mysterious, capricious creatures that they are. And they don't take them too seriously, either. They know the vicissitudes of the female mind, its constant insecurities and the fluctuations in mood.

Rather than pander to them, they simply watch them drift by like so many clouds on the horizon.

They don't get entangled in a woman's feelings and listen to her prattling on and on until she's talked herself out. Such strong and stoic men are exactly what women need to anchor themselves amid the chaos of their emotions.

Don't get me wrong, I know all a woman needs is a listening ear, some emotional dump she can use to make herself feel better. I have been on the receiving end of many long monologues on the hopelessness of a relationship , on boyfriends who seem to not make the cut and i do it because i'm a friend, and a friend will do anything to make someone he/she is close to feel better even in truth, deep down inside, he/she doesn't give a damn.

I will continue on this path. A path of honesty and integrity and not pretentious air and metrosexual vibes generated for the benefit of women craving for the New Male. I tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to, and if you don't like it, find that New Male of yours who'll sit with you and emphatise and not provide a solution to your woes.

Quite frankly, i've been labeled a sexist and a Male Chauvinistic Pig (MCP) in recent months and i just don't feel offended. I used to be a caring, sensitive, New Male wannabe who would have probably become of those chaps walking with a lady's handbag swinging from an arm, but not anymore.

Meet the new me. The dying breed of uber-male who will cut you down with words if you cross a line. The male who will give you what you need, but not what you want.

Cheers from the,

Matrix

The Engine matters the most

2010-02-26T22:17:00.000-08:00

Did 5 laps of NTU with my friends from the jurong area. All of them ride aluminium and titanium frames and its bloody good stuff to ride uphill on a heavy bike.

Went for an extra lap after they left to burn off whateve remaining will-power and energy left and came across this chap on my fave bike, a Trek Madone.

I decided to be cheeky and overtook him on my mongrel el-cheapo Trek, fully expecting him to blast past me later on. And so he did, until the SBS slope.

If there's one thing i've learnt from cycling this past year, no matter what people tell you, better equipment won't make u better, its the reason i'm not upgrading my wheels and attempting to add carbon fibre bits to the bike.

It makes you strong to ride something heavy and boy it felt good to make a SGD5000 dollar bike eat my SGD800 version's dust up that hill. Nice start to the weekend =)

Cheers from the gloating ,

Matrix

Being selfish

2010-02-18T07:05:00.000-08:00

I am selfish.

There I said it, happy now? I value my own plans, my own future above anything else apart from my immediate family.

I had a chat with a friend the other day and she asked me why i've had no gf ever. It kind of irritated me (she asked me this on V-day). I told her blankly i cannot commit myself at the moment. She asked why. I said relationships are all about give and take. You go into one with 100% commitment if you want it to work and that's something i cannot give when i'm only 22 and have yet to settle down and fulfill whatever it is i have planned for myself.

And then she said : "You are selfish aren't you?"

I cannot multitask. I have tried and failed. I am sure i will not be able to work on my own plans and make time for someone and factor her into my plans. Its not possible. I want to pursue a postgrad course, I want to travel and work, i do not want to be burdened with planning a future that includes someone else.

I have been severely tempted to commit myself, to admit to someone(s) over the years, only to hold back when i start thinking of the complications to my immediate future. That's selfish, but i am not going to apologise for it. For if i'm not willing to do what's necessary for myself, who else is going to?

Of course, this will change if i meet a like minded person, whoever she might be who'll drop by and rock my world with her similar mindset. Till then, this person is going to keep at what he's been doing for the past 10 years, work at trying to be SOMEBODY.

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Its a question of Ethics isn't it?

2010-01-23T09:07:00.000-08:00

The supermarkets

Like every other person, my roomie and I frequent NTUC Fairprice (a supermarket along the lines of Carrefour and Tesco). We do it cos its convenient, everything is in one place, neatly catalogued and well priced as they buy in bulk.

I live in Singapore.

A small island off the coast of Malaysia. Its a typical asian society. Well, not that typical. Singaporeans are very westernised though everyone speaks mandarin which i feel is their only connection to their asian chinese roots. I can't say much for myself in the department too. I'm an ethnic indian, though i do speak tamil, i like everyone else in Singapore, am westernised to a good extent. But this is another story.....

That being said, lets get straight to the point shall we?

The large super stores kill the small businesses nearby. Those small sundry shops that have been around for eons just close up the minute a large chain store open next door.

But the consumer wins. We get to enjoy low prices, and give no thought to the person who just lost his livelihood and possibly his ability to support a family. Which begs the question:

If the consumer always wins, is something unethical justified? Does enjoying lower prices for a carton of milk and a few oranges justify killing someone's livelihood?

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Blog Revival....

2010-01-20T07:01:00.000-08:00

Been too long since i posted anything.

I've started working, well interning actually. For a duration of 22 weeks since Jan 11th. And for the record, if you've been hearing stories of all the wonderful time and how much fun interns have on a one semester break from exams and earning moolah monthly, mine's not really a stroll in the park.

I've signed up with a boss who expects (during peak periods) upto 72 hours of overtime per month from his interns (according to a senior), expects us to handle optimization and automation software for multi-million dollar power plants around Asia Pacific and even go on site (the previous batch were sent to a power plant in Shanghai).

A boss who wants a daily report in his email inbox before the next day. A boss who adds you on msn, takes your handphone number and expects you to answer calls as late as 1 or 2 am regarding work the following day.

Not to mention a boss who appears to be on msn ALL the time.

I won't lie and say its all lovely and i love the pressure, yada, yada, yada. But i've got to admit. 6 months from now, come June, i'm going to come out pretty seasoned from a tough working environment and that's enough. Going into year 4, knowing i've handled work seasoned engineers do, not small jobs interns normally get. I mean, how many graduating students can actually say they've handled projects in Pakistan and Indonesia from a computer terminal all the way in Singapore under a gruff boss?

yes, there is a guy named that where i work.

work area. Cabinets of processors and input/ouput modules and rows of connected computer terminals.

You all probably already know i'm slightly obsessed with cycling.

So, no surprises for the following few upgrades *HUGE GRIN*.

beautiful rare TIME cycling shoes. I'm the only one in the team to wear TIME shoes =). A tad bit pricey but absolutely worth it. Stiff soles, good power transfer to the wheels and now i'm zipping about at 32kph, and hit an all time high of 55kph. All i now need is full carbon bike and i'd hit 60kph easy =)

second hand Shimano 105 groupset. I made the huge leap from a cheap 7 speed set to this 10 speed one. Big big investment, but its going to pay off. The way i ride the old mongrel bike, its not going to last unless i did this upgrade.

see what i mean? notice the missing gear mechanism that's supposed to be attached to the gears. It snapped off while i was shifting to ride faster uphill.

bike in a bus.

I went home to KL for a month, flew back in fact, something i regret doing with a bicycle. The airline took one look at the box, asked what was in it, and the classified the bike as a sports equipment and charged an additional 30 bucks for it. Not to mention the MRT staff who didn't allow my bike which was packed neatly into a box, so i had to splurge on a cab to the airport.

Took a bus back, and it went as planned with no extra surcharge.

PS : On an entirely unrelated note, i'm getting good at talking to random women and not making them feel uncomfortable. Probably cos Y tells i have an uber good guy face (whatever that means). I liked that intelligent malay girl i chatted to at the MRT station. She was promoting a charity thing for the local cancer society and her mature opinions on how pragmatic and materialistic Singaporeans are , and how local stagnant politics will be this country's undoing in future were kind of sexy.

I'm frankly getting tired of talking to immature 21 year old girls who's world is limited to bags, shoes, relationships and painted nails. I need a girl that can spew politics and has strong opinions or i'd probably go crazy and tired of playing gentleman to a useless bum.

And cheers to you too!!

Matrix

Save Gas, Go Green, Get Fit.

2010-01-02T08:54:00.001-08:00

I hope this will be a common sight in offices of the future

High time everyone started taking bicycle commuting seriously. The US is and most european cities are starting bicycling programs to encourage more drivers to ditch their cars.

The US federal bailout has set aside billions in tax benefits for bicycle commuters and employers who encourage bicycle commuting at work. I think its the way to go. Give em monetary benefits and people will respond.

I find most asian cities very cyclist un-friendly. Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, even Singapore is not cycle friendly. I get treated like garbage on the road. Taxis honk, busses side swipe me, and once a driver side swiped me and when i caught upto him at a traffic light to confront the dude, the chap challenged me to a fight and shouted i had no right to be on the road.

I mean, wtf?

We aren't allowed by law to ride on pavements, and so the road is our only option. True, there maybe laws about road use that do protect cyclists, but what good are they when we're already dead, run over by some ignorant driver?

What needs to be done, is not a slew of laws to keep drivers in check, but a massive awareness program with monetary benefits to really attract attention in asian cities. Up the profile of cyclists, make helmets compulsory by law for us as well as blinkers, give tax cuts for bicycle purchasing, give tax benefits per person for bicycle commuting.

Make space on trains for bicycle storing. British Railways and Amtrak have bicycle carriages, so why not the MRT, KTM and LRT systems?

Have more bicycle parking facilities and up their security to deter bicycle theft. I mean, carparks have security no? Why not bicycles? They aren't second rate transportation for the poor! Bicycles deserve dignity, and giving them the same treatment as cars is essential to improve the asian perception that bicycling is for the poor.

Start a bicycle registration program. Equal to that of car registration. This is another step towards bicycle security.

If all these are in place, people will start to take out their old dusty bicycles, refurbish them and start cycling. One thing i;ve learnt over the 21 years i've been on this earth is, once a trend starts, it will grow, and bicycling is a trend waiting to be started. You just have to make it convenient enough.

It will not come cheap , making cities bicycle friendly. But it will reap benefits in future, i promise you.

Cheers from the

Matrix

New Year!

2010-01-01T21:29:00.000-08:00

Right, time for another annual review of my life. Its been eventful, 2009 that is.

Sports :

I picked up road cycling and i've stuck with it and have come to love it. Its improved my fitness, made me new friends and is starting to drain me of my money. Still, i'd rather spend on something that will keep me healthy rather than on something pointless like an iPhone or a new bag.

Tennis and badminton is officially over for me...for at least another year. My right arm really cannot take the stress anymore. On the downside, i won't be able to enjoy the challenge BC, Vee and Whei Yeap give me on the court for some time, not that it matters anymore seeing the latter 2 are away for 6 months in moose-land.

Projects :

Started off the year with a mega one involving a giant rube goldberg machine for the 2010 Youth Olympic Games. It was by far the most challenging project ever , stressful and bloody rewarding.

EID success , finishing as champions for the Safety and Security category and as champions of the mechatronics robot building competition. Am awfully thankful and honored to have had awesome people to work with on all 3 projects.

Year 3 however was rather quiet. Overloaded with 24 AUs and was studying and cycling most of the time. Pretty dull if you ask me and i would have lost my mind with the regime were it not for a bicycle.

Exams and Disappointments :

I applied for an overseas internship in Japan with the Ford Motor Company. It really was a sweet deal. All expenses paid travel and lodging in Japan, plus the prestige of interning at the huge auto company.

I was shortlisted twice, ending up going head to head with a 3rd year student from Aerospace Engineering, and i lost to her in the end. Painful defeat and i do admit i hate losing. Its an ego thing and its not bad. It keeps me on my toes, always wanting something better.

Speaking of ego bashing.....my examination results weren't good, let alone to awesomeness i was thinking it would be.

I got a freaking C+ in an exam i actually finished an hour early, checked twice and walked out 30 minutes before time. I am truly baffled, perhaps it was soo easy that everyone in the cohort scored bloody well, pushing the graph up and leaving me in the C zone. Or perhaps in my blazing overconfidence, i overlooked several important things and ended up crashing and burning.

Not to mention the B- i got in a ridiculously simple programming paper. I did score 2 marks less for the practical CA than almost every other super genius in mechatronics, but the paper itself was easy. Overconfidence and carelessness again i suspect.

Anyway, i did finish with 4 A-'s in subjects i thought i had bombed in becos i did not finish the papers and solved some questions after making some assumption because the questions were vague. Hur hur. I seem to do well in papers that are tough.

No matter, i can walk out of this knowing i know the subjects well and did not go into the exam hall unprepared, and that it was just a exam cock up. Pity everyone else is going to judge my knowledge based on the 2 hours plus papers. Damn.

On the upside, i did get my first choice internship and Emerson Process Management. Working on a power plant control software for the Fortune 500 American company is a pretty sweet deal and i'm looking forward to that.

Love life :

Non-existant as per norm and quite frankly after listening to 1 semester's worth of breakups and relationship fiascos and cock ups, i'm pretty glad i've been spared the misery.

21st Birthday :

It was special.

I almost never celebrate my own birthday(though i wouldn't say no if a few buddies turn up with a bottle and lots of ice) and it was awfully nice to be surprised at the door by my closest friends and a simple dinner the next day with Garen and Richelle. Best birthday ever.

My bicycles :

Bear with me will you. I know i've been absolutely nutty about bicycles for the past 1 year. Some of my best memories this year were on a bicycle, and the old Jamis and the new trekki deserve some mention in this annual post.

The Jamis. A 450 dollar investment that cost me an arm (literally) and left me with fond memories of it.

Trekkie. The second hand 400 dollar energy draining 40 km/h plus speed demon which introduced me to long distance cycling, sprinting, climbing and riding in large groups with riders from all over singapore. Met new similar minded people on it and improved my fitness on it.

And so, here's to a new year!

Cheers from the,

Matrix

The Future of Energy is Nuclear.......get used to it....

2009-12-27T00:22:00.000-08:00

All anti-nuclear campaigners and protesters much be lined up and shot.

The future looks bleak my friends, make no bones about it. We are more heavily dependent on oil than you can possible imagine. What used to be a clean, abudant energy source, is now expensive, dirty, and getting progressively more difficult to find.

The Oil Age is ending, and its high time the Nuclear Age started. Just how humans weaned themselves off coal dependance and onto petroleum, it is possible to still depend on the ground to provide us with fuel.

I live in Singapore, a nation heavily dependent on oil import to sustain its power needs. Naturally, as oil prices rise, this small country with hardly any large industries to speak of experiences high electricity tariff hikes.

We are currently ranked second behind London for the world's largest electricity tariff hikes. And its only a matter of time before we are ranked first.

Singapore is expensive. Expensive housing, expensive transportation (the MRT isn't exactly cheap), very expensive cars and fuel, and its not going to improve. What do you expect from a country so heavily plugged into the world market so much so it cannot rely on anything internal to keep prices down.

Heck, even Australia is cheaper! Cheaper good food, groceries, housing, transportation, AND the country's economy is still growing.

The point of the above is this :

WE HAVE NO OPTION BUT TO START INVESTING IN NUCLEAR POWER

Yes, i mean everyone. And please do some research before opening your mouth to start feeding me rubbish about nuclear energy being unsafe, dirty, and will make mutants of us all, and that a terrorist attack on a nuclear power plant will result in a big boom.

Rubbish.....

Nuclear energy is only technology intensive. Once you get the complicated science and construction right, its cheaper than petroleum and hydrogen fuel sources. Nuclear waste is recycled and reused in many modern plants. All those stories you hear about spent fuel rods lying buried is true........for plants built 50 years ago. Not for the new generation plants.

A nuclear fuel source goes through a cycle where once it is used, it is sent for reprocessing and then for reuse, making it a very efficient and potentially cheap future power source. Its enviromentally friendly too, nuclear plants produce zero emissions, waste and even zero radiation outside the reactor.

They are built like bunkers, able to withstand missile strikes and airplanes flying into them. The initial cost is expensive, but hydroelectric dams are even more so and more enviromentally damaging too.

With regards to nuclear weapons manufacturing, making nuclear fuel is not the same as making weapons grade uranium. And you need missile tech to really make the weapons useful.

The only option now is to start getting tough on hippies and anti-nuke nutjobs who NEVER do their homework and study a bit of nuclear science to learn a bit more about what they're fighitng against :

A clean, safe, sustainable and cheap energy source, waiting to be used. Uranium deposits are plenty, and hardly explored too.

I for one stand by the nuclear industry and I want it to grow. To learn more about nuclear power, read this website:

World Nuclear Associsation

And please, before making some snide anti-nuke remarks in the comment section, do your homework to avoid coming across as a complete idiot.

Other than that, see you in the nuclear future!

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Chatroom...

2009-12-24T06:07:00.001-08:00

I'm home for a month for the holidays. The last time i was home for this long was more than a year ago and its because i get bored easily at home. There really isn't much to do. On campus on the other hand, I could be working on my research project on microbubble pumps, cycling, and of course move about more easily since it had very good public transport.

This time however, things are a little different.

Since i'm going to be interning next semester at Emerson Singapore, and won't be able to come back for another 6 months, i just decided to bring my bicycle back to keep me occupied and healthy for a month. And its working surprisingly. My evenings are spent cycling and playing football, and strangely, that's enough.

And now, i found something new to do online besides the blog reading, online gaming addiction, news and facebook.

Chatting with random strangers online.....

I know, it sounds distasteful, but lets look past the many weirdos and sexual fantasy addicts out there and just concentrate on one fact. You meet new people very easily and rather safely. You get fresh perspectives, new ideas, insights into a place you've never been to, all from the comfort of a laptop chair.

I am painfully aware that many people, my friends included, are incredible uncomfortable with this idea, obviously having heard and possibly experienced horror stories regarding internet chatrooms.

Ignoring the remarks i've got from mates when i tell them about this, i do find this annonymous chat thing rather interesting. Truth be told, i'm a bit tired of talking to the same old friends everyday. Its not that i don't value them as friends and all that rubbish. Its just, i like meeting new people. Not for the sake of fulfilling some deep yearning for more companionship and other psycho-babble, but rather because it is very interesting.

I have, within the span of 3 day of using this website :

1) Met a chap in Sao Paulo, Brazil who introduced me to life for the common man i Brazil, and that its not the party town filled with hot women and men and cheap yet good beer that we have all come to associate Brazil with.

2) Met a 17 year old who's writing a final high school year history paper on Singapore, and had an interesting conversation about the lack of civil liberties and controversies regarding how the ruling party is maintaining control in Singapore, to add to the many good things she has already researched. It did amaze me, the depth of thinking, regarding potential economic and political consequences an asian city she has never visited, that she had, something i wished more Singaporen youths had. Heck, even I wasn't thinking on such a matured level at that age about my country!

3) Talked to a girl from Massachusetts who was doing a Bachelor in Fine Arts, and was a stage manager. Its great to talk to someone about a field i have never even considered. She's now a pen-pal. I did have one previously though. A girl from Australia during the snail mail era, but the i got tired of writing letters.....

4) A 23 year old woman from Shanghai, China who was fed up with trying to live upto to her parents expectations of marrying and settling down and is on the verge of migrating to the US after secretly securing a job as an analyst for a financial institution.

5) A guy called Dieber from Amsterdam who think the city's reputation as a "fun town" doesn't make it very conducive for raising children and had some whacky ideas on what would happen if weed was oulawed in the Netherlands.

Of, course, i did have exceedingly brief conversations with sex starved men and women, and one chap who wanted to know what color were my underpants =.="

Well, you have no choice but to filter these weirdos out and find the really interesting people out there who genuinely want to share their life stories, experiences, local cultures and lifestyles and then you start gaining new perspectives.

All said and done, all that's left is to try it out here , IF you dare.....

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Its THAT time of the year again....

2009-12-17T21:11:00.000-08:00

I'm a HUGE fan of the Grinch. You see, he symbolises what i think is sanity in this time of the year. A time of insane guilt free retail therapy , a holiday that a i feel has been grossly over commercialized and exploited by the retail industry to satisfy our misguided perceptions that a time of giving translates into senseless extravagant shopping and not true giving. Things like love, true generosity (not flexing of financial muscles) and sincerity.

Forgive me.

Christmas makes me cynical. I think its hugely over rated. It is a holiday which symbolises the start of an entire month of discount "xmas" sales, "cheap" shopping, streets being decked out in chirstmas colors and bangs and whistles, fake santas holding little kids in shopping malls and the worst of them all.......

....the abomination called a turkey.....

I mean wtf?? Turkey is dry, bland and needs lots of gravy to make it taste good. And during christmas, this poor excuse for poultry is charged like RM100-300 for an entire bird, depending on what sort you want. Imported, grilled, pre baked, raw, whatever.

Christmas, to me, is nothing but coordinated retail therapy on a gargantuan, global scale. No one bothers with tradition nowadays. Kids like christmas because its that time of the year where they get loads of presents. Food is an extra bonus, and so is snow. Adults like it , well, cause its a reason to party, let your hair down for a while, have a holiday.

And i've run out of grouchy things to say.. =.="

All i can say is, cheers to this month of a festival that has lost its true meaning in a materialistic world.

Merry Christmas from the cynical,

Matrix

Are Singaporeans patrotic beyond following the law?

2009-11-30T02:21:00.000-08:00

I've been living in Singapore for 2 years and 6 months now. I came here with expectations of a society that safer, more civil, and more free than the one i left (Kuala Lumpur).

My expectations have not been fulfilled.

You see, Singapore being a trading and commercial hub in Asia, a society largely influenced by Western culture with a good blend in of the east as well has set itself standards which come naturally with a country claiming to be a first world nation. One of them being freedom of expression.

Lets not go there shall we for the moment? Suffice to say you would probably agree with me that Singapore's reputation in that is similar to Malaysia's, only difference being, get on the wrong side of the powers-that be in Malaysia, and you'll end up in a lockup, and probably dead the next day.

In Singapore, its going to be a defamation suit, cause yes, if you go by the law, what you do say is slander and yes, you will get prosecuted.

There have been accusations that the Singapore Law Society and the Judicial system is heavily influenced by the government. A lot of accusations actually, by individuals officially deemed not credible by the ruling party such as the...... well....... opposition.

That being said, one does wonder. There can't be smoke without fire.

I find all my singaporean friends to be politically impotent. They have no critical arguments against the ruling party, nor do they have much opinion at all about government policies or the way the country is run.

I get this aura of fear whenever i talk critically about a government policy, as if one wrong word from me, and everyone around me gets arrested on the spot and charged with sedition. In Malaysia? I do not.

Yes, at home things are horrible compared to Singapore. Singapore is a dream city. Its safe, its civil, you can run a business here without the political bullshit.

But, in Malaysia, the youth are not afraid of speaking up and voicing strong opinions about the government. We do not get listened to, what we say falls on deaf ears , BUT we have opinions. Opinions beyond complaining about lack of parking spaces to the local MP, or complaining about ERP price hikes and then doing nothing about it, its all pathetic.

Noone is questioning their government's popularity with Amnesty International, The International Herald Tribune and The Committe to Protect Journalists.

Noone questions the non-renewal of employment visas for international journalists.

The government may or may not have solid reasons for doing this (i honestly don't know), but i wonder why the youth don't really care, but rather want to get on with their lives and try to make it big in financial terms.

I wish my friends would be a bit more patriotic and really, genuinely voice their opinions about government/economic/social policies, because that shows you're not here to just make a living. You're here because you are Singaporeans, people who have invested their lives here and want the best for their nation's future.

If this carries on, the future of Singapore is going to be decided by individuals without passion for their nation , people without a history of having critical views on policy, a history beneficial to creating new policies that will help keep Singapore competitive in the world market and keep her friends in the western,eastern world.

And FYI, i am getting tired of the line:

"You are here getting educated with Singaporean taxpayer dollars in your MOE grant. so don't complain".

Please, Singapore got me in, cause i'm talented, and my country's gone to the dogs. I came here wanting a better life. It is only reasonable i feel concerned about a country i am considering calling home. And being critical does not mean i am spitting in the face of the taxpayer. Get your facts right.

Cheers from,

The Matrix

Exams and more ......

2009-11-24T20:18:00.000-08:00

Apologies for not MIA in this blog and stooping low to posting random stuff from youtube to compensate.

I have been busy. This semester is , though not a killer , it is by far the most challenging of the lot. Juggling between 3 major projects, tons of work and reading and impromptu mechatronics lab self programming sessions in a bid to become better at programming a Motorola 68HC11 microcontroller , and the hours spent in front of the QNX Realtime Operating System workstations trying to figure out how to spawnl( ) a process , use threads and set up communication between 2 simultaneous programs is mega draining.

I'm so thankful for the exam period. The madness can stop and i can finally have time to sleep more, cycle more, run more, and catch up on the lectures i barely fully appreciated. I like what i'm doing, i really do.

I had some really good company for my runs and a bike ride last night.

I FINALLY CRACKED THE 400KM MARK ON TREKKIE =))).

I'm flying home on the 8th of December with my road bike to help mom out with some stuff, and I plan to tackle the Kenny Hills area on trekkie for the whole duration of the semester, catch up with my old friends from high school, and gorge on good old malaysian food, and then burn off all that extra blubber by burning rubber on the road =P.

I'be become fitter btw. Hahas. Came into this semester with a slight tummy and flabby thigs, and now its all tightened up and i'm getting slight hint of wings (the muscled side of the torso). Feeling good.

Oh, and for only the second time this sem, i finally had my lazy 10 hour sleep =P.

On an entirely different note, this sem seems like one prone for breakups. I know its non of my business nor should be a concern of mine (judging from my single status which btw i'm actually enjoying thank you very much).

G mentioned his friend breaking up after like a 7-8 year relationship. Wow. That's pretty major. Another friend is going through a pretty bad period now after falling for someone and then having to endure reality after a very short period of time. I do feel sorry for him/her. Undergoing emotional trauma (wonder if there is such a thing) is certainly not the best way to start off one of the toughest semesters.

And i shall end here.

Cheers from the

Matrix

If Everyone Cared by Nickelback with Lyrics

2009-11-10T00:15:00.001-08:00

Nickleback addiction. Cheers and good luck for the finals ppl =)

Dating is Confusing HD

2009-11-07T18:46:00.001-08:00

what....... =.="

Meet trekkie =)

2009-11-04T08:16:00.000-08:00

Trekkie and me on our 250km anniversary....

For those wondering, no, I am not about to set up a facebook profile for my new bike, and then link that profile with mine using the "Yuva is married to Trekkie" update on your fb news feeds....

As you would have guessed, i have officially made the transition from trail riding to road racing. For safety reasons mostly.

I broke my arm in March, and despite me thinking its alright, it is not. I cannot sustain a game of badminton for more than 4 matches, i cannot do chin ups anymore, and it hurts when i jump my old bike over obstacles on the trail.

That and the fact that if i were to fall on my right arm on the trails, the bone will shatter again, has made me decide to give up the sport until i graduate at least.

Road biking is different. Its more punishing. To be decent, and to ride with groups, an expected speed of 30-35 km/h is expected out of a rider, constantly for 60km plus. The bikes being mostly less than 10kilos, running on super slim tires and really big cranksets (gears) should be pushed at those speeds.

In case you're wondering how safe doing 35-40km/h is, its not. A fall on a road bike results in bad burns (you land on the freaking road at 30km/h plus for god's sake). But it sure beats falling on rocks and having your balls rammed hard everytime you go over an unexpected pit on the trails.

Plus, it allow me to ride more often and with more people in large groups. Mountain biking is impossible during semester, difficult to find kakis and the trails are far.

Oh, i'm on the brink of clocking 300km on trekkie since getting her 3 weeks ago. Been 300km of pain, but its so worth it. I feel healthier, happier, more motivated and focused on my work.

And now, back to my tutorials.

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Ambition

2009-10-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

You gotta have ambition to have purpose in life.

This is what i believe in. A person without ambition, or drive, is like a feather drifting in the wind. Ambition need not necessarily translate into big earth shaking ideas or achievements. Simple short term goals would do. Something to give us hope and something for us to look forward to and to work towards.

I get bored easily during the holidays, which is why i hardly bother going home for long periods and instead prefer staying on campus, working on my research, which btw, is on hiatus indefinitely until i can find the time to pick it up again.

Makes me feel bad sometimes to make claims for hours spent in the lab in front of the microscope, testing pump designs that end up failing and being frustrated when something Suky and I designed which we were sure would work, ends up failing. Or gets clogged up with particles rendering 4 hours effort in making it going to waste. Gah.

Am so looking forward to my internship next semester.

Applied to Mazda in Hiroshima, Japan. Never been to Japan before. Dad is of opinion its a plastic society, with its Hello Kitties and cute-sy stuff and quirky vending machines which seem to have no purpose other than putting small sundry shops out of business.

If i do get it, I will be part of a team working on a new mazda prototype. I don't expect to have an active role in designing components for it, honestly do not think a major car company is going to let an intern handle stuff like that. According to a senior who's been on this trip, its pretty fun, with free trips to parts of Japan like Tokyo.

Its a good deal though, I don't get paid, but everything is covered from flight tickets to phone bills and apartment rental and food allowance. Whee, i can take my road bike then and need not worry about extra cost in transporting it =)

Got shortlisted by NTU last week and my name's on some list that's been sent to Japan for consideration. *crosses fingers*

I really want this. Singapore is fine, but have absolutely no intention of living here for the rest of my life. Not a really good place to raise a family in my opinion. Australia is the most ideal. I really want to live in Melbourne or Sydney. Perth's fine too.

Guess its something about the liberal state of affairs in Australia. Singapore has an absymal history of social and political freedom. You can't say what you want freely and i think this will be the downfall of this country in the long run. The singapore model works currently, as this nation is still developing and needs a firm guide and LKY has done wonders with his iron fisted rule of law. I respect that. But there has to come a time for him to just let go. Frankly i don't see that happening anytime soon.

Anyway, am going to bed. Been a long day =))

Cheers from the:

Matrix

Punishing Thursday

2009-10-15T19:26:00.000-07:00

Just got "initiated" by the NTU road team. And i was unfortunate enough to be caught in a ride with the sickest bunch of riders NTU has to offer barring one psycho who happily did not turn up.

Was amused to see my machine being prod and looked at from all angles as comments about the retro bars and cranks were made. And then they grinned at each other and insructed me to draft The Machine, a sick psycho individual with the ability to keep pedalling away at over 35kmh non stop and never lets up.

Let me clarify a few terms here for the benefits of non cyclists. To go fast easily, road riders draft each other in a pack. The group forms into a line or in a v shape, with the apex or front being taken up by a strong rider. This chap cuts the air in front, shielding the riders behind him from air resistance and allowing them to follow in his slipstream enabling everyone to ride fast.

In the even the lead rider tires down, he drops to the rear and the one directly behind him takes over.

We pushed at over 30km/h for 60km, at least i did. The 3 sickest fellas just pushed on and left me in the care of a willing roadie, and at this point i felt weak and useless. No matter, pushed on we did past the cold lonely backroads at Newtie past Sembawang and into the torturous gradients of Mandai and into Upper Thomson, and I ended up getting lost near Newtie.

Entirely my fault actually for giving up and slacking , totally unaware that my the main 3 riders were still pushing hard and so was my company and then i found myself all alone at 9.30pm on the dual carriageway famous flanked by dense bush and darkness, the lonely backroads of Singapore famous for contributing a lot towards the large collection of Russel Lee stories of the supernatural.

Cycled slowly, just trying to survive and keep going, and then it hit me. A section of road where mist rolled , blurring the yellow street lights, where a sudden cold blast of air hit me from the front, quickly enveloping me. Broke out in cold sweat, and then as if possesed, geared my ultegras all the way up, and started pedalling furiously.

Came across a taxi in front, and simply overtook aqnd flew past him. Heard a loud angry honk, and looked down at my speedo:

53.3km/h

Let up and caem across a lone rider waiting in the darkness, Nearly flipped out thinking supernatural thoughts and heard the familiar call of "YUVA!".

And so we pushed on into NTU, and then these sick idiots made an unexpected turn up the SBS slope, for all intents and purposes, to burn up their remaining energy and mental strength before getting food and drinks.

Died again, got off my bike and walked up, cursing and swearing loudly with every step.

Damn, I am so weak......

Cheers from a not so feeling strong,

Matrix

Right, we all know Malaysia's Judicial System is corrupted, so what about Singapore's?

2009-10-14T06:24:00.000-07:00

Being Malaysian, and totally fed up with the dismal state of political affairs at home, i have officially given up on commenting/writing about/discussing about how deep corruptions runs in the very fibre of Malaysian politics and how despite claims that Malaysia is "racially harmonious and fair" the truth is very much the opposite.

I have always been curious about politics. Not the good stuff, the good politics that work and do benefit the people. But more of the bad stuff. The hidden away dirty crimes beneath the facade of skyscrapers and claims of a first world status.

Yes, Singapore. For all intents and purposes, it is very much my home. I have been solidly based here, and never do i crave for home apart from the food and my family.

That being said, it is only natural for one who is seriously considering becoming Singaporean to find out as much as he can about the politics of this tiny red dot that could. And what better place than to start off with its Judicial System?

In a true democracy and first world nation, the Judicial body is an independent entity. The judge is above even the leaders of the nation, and it is unthinkable for a judge to be the crony of the ruling party.

The Judicial system must answer to standards set by the International bar Association to before it can claim itself to be one of the best in the world. And fyi, Singapore's system is not popular with them, nor with Reporters without Borders .

Allow me to be clear here. No system is perfect. There is corruption everywhere (do correct me if i am wrong). But in a nation claiming to be a democracy, a nation that holds itself to the highest standards of law and order and living standards, this should be minimal.

Moreover, government interference in the judicial proceedings should be absolutely 100% zero, which in Singapore's case, is very much in doubt.

I have to choose my words carefully here to avoid some form of backlash in case some high ranking government offical stumbles across this blog and decides to take me out or something.

SEE!

The very fact that i fear persection from writing a harmless blog post voising my thoughts is testimonial to the lack of freedom of expression and speech in Singapore. Small wonder many of today's Singaporean youth have absolutely no interest in government as long as they are not harassed by it. Small wonder the number of young people wanting to enter politics is minimal.

Singaporeans just want to earn a buck. National pride that goes beyond complying to laws and singing the singapore pledge is hard to find. This saddens me. I expected so much more from a tiny island that has put 2 world class universities on the top 80 of the times list within the span of 20 years.

I have said enough, read this blog for a different take on Singapore. It may not be 100% accurate, but do open up your mind and read something of a different flavour than the regular Straits Times and New Paper.

Read here

Cheers from the,

Matrix

must......have.....it.......

2009-10-07T08:57:00.001-07:00

I have seen the light. The intoxicating sensation of easy speed. The sexy curves. The drop down or bull bars. The blissful rapid clicks of rolling bearings. The silent whoosh and sudden acceleration from a hard push. The trendiness of it all.

Sorry mtb-ers, i've fallen in love with the enemy. The ones who wear clothes that no sane man should wear that reveals every minute detail of the anatomy. The group of people who care for nothing other than speed and distance and candence. The group that can never be as technical as us or as tough and hardy as us out in the wilderness.

I officially admit. I LOVE ROAD BIKES.

Was dead set on buying one today, a low end one to play with. Ended up trying both the low end and a 1200SGD bike. Its true what they say. Buy a good road bike and use it for life. Buy a crap one and end up spending more upgrading.

It shall have to wait then, but i will get one. Must have it........

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Women are tiresome....

2009-10-02T13:32:00.001-07:00

I finally sat down at watched "Twilight" at 2 am after finishing off my day's quota for hitting the books. Yeah, its the one week study break and i want to score well this semester.

On another note, i am snappy and easily irritable of late. Its one of those moods where anyone apart from my really close friends can tick me off when they act dumb and irrational and just end up wasting my time.

Women to be more specific.

I like helping people. I don't do it to feel good about myself, i really want to help when someone asks me for it. I think its utter selfishness when you're in a position to make someone's life just that little bit easier and you don't, simply cause it happens to be a tad bit inconvenient for yourself.

Selfish idiots piss me off, but that's another story....

I understand women bitch and often they just want a listening ear. I totally understand this, and i oblige as is the normal protocol. To read this (especially if you are a woman) might cause you to think of me as a rather mechanical, emotionally dead person , who follows a set norm that makes up what one might call "a normal behavioural pattern"

You see, i know how to be nice. Its knowledge i gained through my years as a bad tempered person, and the nice person you see now is nothing more than an uber hot tempered individual exercising a heavy amount of self control rather easily to avoid hurting someone's feelings.

I can explode when i want to, and trust me , when i do, its because you jolly well deserve it. I know when i am right. And when i know i am right, i will defend that fiercely.

Back to bitching women....

So, a friend of mine finds me online, and she asks if i have time to talk to about her boyfriend. I oblige, being free at that moment, a kind of lull period in my normal study routine.

She tells me her problems, I listen, and i do the next natural thing. I dispense solutions based on what i know of men. I do know a lot, me being one and all.....

I suggest she talks over her issues with her boyfriend, and its got to be a serious mature talk, not one overflowing with emotion. She says this which pisses me off:

"Why should i try to solve this? He's the guy, he should know how i feel, sense it and come after me"

And that made me snap.

Don't get me wrong. She is usually a very nice person. Just a bitch sometimes.

I ignored her, not wanting to hurt her with my ready arsenal of sharp retorts. She nudges me, keep nudging me, and i snapped:

"I'm not your bloody boyfriend. You don't want to take my advice and you have the audacity to still bug me when obviously this conversation is over. If you want your bf to take hints about your emotional state, why don't you start with trying to sense how i feel? I took time , one bloody hour talking to you despite being busy, i put in 100% effort and devoted all my attention to solving your bf problems, and you blow me off in the end and you don't even value my advice. People like you make me thank the heavens i am spared the nonsense that is a relationship and the heartache and emotional cost. Screw this, i'm going back to my books. You are so not worth my time."

I have no regrets. Someone has to tell her that she can hurt people if she continues doing what she is doing. And if she does not change, that relationship of hers is going to end. She can hate me for what i said. I don't care. I have closer friends who truly understand how i operate, people i can talk to rationally and know me.

Sometimes, chivalry and gentlemanliness goes out the window and you just have to be practical. Ladies, please leave your notions of a patient, gentle , kind Yuva at the door. I am not always nice and I do have a breaking point. Please understand this.

When i give advice, LISTEN. If you think i am wrong, correct me! But don't ignore it as if all i said was a waste of time. And please don't give me the line, "You just don't understand women."

I do. And don't underestimate me. People like me are nice because we know how to treat a lady. We do tend to go a bit overboard sometimes with too many jokes, but generally we are not jerks. But we do snap, and when we do, you will hate us, because it will hurt more when i lose it with you.

I'm going to bed. Its been a long day and I have to look forward to more emo-ing women tmr...

The Matrix

When i look back, i wonder if guardian angels really are true....

2009-09-29T04:32:00.000-07:00

I ride a bicycle and yes, i am one of those rare Malaysian youths without a driver's license. Now my family, more specifically my mom, has the idea that bicycles on roads are suicide. Which is probably why she's constantly nagging me not to ride on the roads.

"Do you want to fall and break an arm?"

Yeah ....... fast forward a month after she uttered those words after reluctantly granting me permission to get my first proper non-rusting aluminium hardtail mountain bicycle (my previous one was an Aleoca my aunt bought for me to share with my cousins, which btw rusted to bits in her house. Loved that bike) , i had landed myself in hospital with the constant disapproving looks from my elder brother to keep me company on a daily basis.

What followed was a tongue lashing from my mom and a "toughen up, athletes go through this" from my dad and a blanket ban on anything with 2 wheels.

Now i am utterly stubborn. While my arm was still in a sling, i felt ready to oblige my mother's order to me to sell my Jamis. I even posted an ad online offering to let it go for SGD450 , a 150 dollar knockdown price from its true value. Yes, its a good bicycle, albeit a bit heavy.

This decision took a U-turn as i got fitter and my legs itched to feel the familiar burn from pedalling at the utmost limit and i sneakily started riding again.

My mom, being the telepathic wonder-woman she was, found out, and what followed was a 2 month silent disapproval mood until she finally relented seeing that this was one aspect of my life she really had no say in.

I took my hobby a little further and jumped on circulating rumors that a NTU cycling team was being set up. Found the chap who was doing it, and hopped on the bandwagon and smack into a new clique of like minded people, some nutters, but fun nevertheless.

All was going jolly, i had even forgotten that short stint in hospital.

And then i had a nasty reminder of how negligent i had become, which got me into NUH in the first place.

Its recess week on campus at the moment. One week of freedom to catch up on lectures and to prepare for tests after the break. And after figuring out Dynamics and Control, Machine Component Design and touching a bit on Advanced C programming, that familiar itch came back, and despite me knowing i really should not be cycling alone, i decided anyway to ride a few laps around Lim Chu Kang, an wide open road outside the university, with 8km of glorious painful road per lap.

Completed 3 laps, and then decided to push up into campus and up the same hill where i had my accident. Pushed all the way up, feeling good about myself, and then proceeded to ride down the otherside as fast as i can.

And as i was zooming towards the same sharp turn at the beginning of the South Academic Complex, a pedestrian crossed the road, and i checked my speed and came to a hurried stop. Let his pass, and tried to push off again. And lo behold, the same brakes that had jammed the first time , cauing me to flip my bike and crash into the road at 30kmh had jammed yet again. Took one look, freaked out, dislodged the brakes and wheeled the bicycle down the hill back to hall.

Had that pedestrian not crossed at that exact time, had i not braked when i was not at my maximum speed before the turn, I would have flipped again, and this time, i would not have been so lucky.

Yes, lucky.

Cause back in March, i was riding at 11.30pm, the roads were wet, my tyres were not as good as the WTB Motoraptors i'm currently using, I had no phone to call for help, nor had I water for dehydration.

Had I landed on my head and not on my arm, I would not be here today. Had campus security not happened to chance by 5 minutes later, i would have gone into shock and suffered from blood loss. If a car was coming up that slope just as i crashed, i would have been run over. Had Garen, Raj and Ain not been in the South Spine studying at that moment, campus security would have no idea who i was. Had i not been operated on in a hurry, my arm could have been infected from by the tar and grit that was coating the end of the bone happily poking its way through the flesh.

So many things could have gone horrible wrong. And it all only hit me as i was wheeling my bicycle back to hall.

Yes, i admit now, my arm is not fully back to normal. Every now and then it hurts a little when i stay for long in an air-conditioned room as the metals contract. But i gotta thank my lucky stars that not only is it in one piece, but retains the same strength as before.

Cheers from a feeling lucky,

Matrix

Something new.....

2009-09-18T10:36:00.000-07:00

This semester has a lot of "new" for me.

Emerged from the wreckage of last semester, grittier and less of a "lay down and accept a situation" kind of person. And i got to hand it to the hospitalisation and medical insurance shenanigans for this.

I have learnt:

a - Always wear a freaking helmet when you ride. Luckily my skull emerged intact from hospital

b - Always check your bike's braks before pushing off

c - The minute someone from an insurance company tries to blow you off, give it to them.

d - Its possible to have a showdown with the Hall Office and win.

You see, i leave my bicycle outside my room in the hallway as such:

And the hall office does not like this since we are not allowed to leave personal items outside in the hallway. I argued in return that it is unfair for the hall office to force us to leave expensive bicycles at the bicycle shed and NOT be held liable for any damage done to the bicycle or loss of the bicycle from the shed. And then i argued, i can park the bicycle flush against the room wall , on the same side as the dustbin and it would not obstruct the hallway more than what a dustbin already does.

They never replied, and so my bicycle and me are left alone =]

Oh, something new, I finally joined a team i can commit to and want to commit to:

The team

The training is punishing for the mountain bikers. Cause our bikes are heavy and we need to push them for about Fifty clicks at around thirty km/h average , just so we can keep within reasonable distance of the much faster and lighter road bikes.

Its good though. Am with a bunch of like minded nutters, absolutely passionate about a sport and committed as well. I finally spilt the beans to mom about me riding again, and being part of a team. She kind of frowned and then gave in.

Moms are easily swayed.

And so, yes. We mountain bikers are well on the way to becoming ultra fast riders, and will easily beat any other mtb rider on the road. Though i do admit, out offroad riding is pretty minimal so far, need to go on the trails more....

and so,

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Musings and Thoughts in the dark

2009-09-12T09:18:00.000-07:00

"And together, we roamed as one, her love undying, faithful to the end"

I was never really serious about anything to be frank except work. The female specie has baffled me, and i suspect they are as baffled as the male specie, but that's another story.

I have never been in a relationship, except with my brother and sister and my folks....and that's kind of mandatory if u come to think of it.

Not that it has affected me. Really. Was cycling with my newfound maniac mates from the NTU Cycling team a couple of nights ago and at the pitstop near Sembawang the topic shifted from hardcore training for possible races to girlfriends. And boy were the chaps surprised at my evergreen status. I wonder why. Is it not normal to not have a gf at twenty one?

Its not that i have not tried. I have. And things have not worked out, so i keep moving. I'm not hurt by the past, not ruffled by the , "Lets just be friends" sentence i have received thrice. I might come across as cold and a chap totally devoid of love and a sense of romance, but really, i am not affected. All i do is bury myself in work and my passions and i feel normal again.

Perhaps i'm too happy-go-lucky. Perhaps those i fell for thought i was never serious, and just a pal, a close friend whose there in times of need, one to rely on, a "nice guy" they say, yet one deemed more of a "brother" which roughly translates to "undatable".

Yes, nice guys do finish last. Its because they can't take risks. They don't want to. All they ever do is be the one who's there, one who offers a shoulder to cry on, a helping hand in times of need, and at the same time, "preserve the friendship" cause of course, its complicated when the one they like just happens to be a close friend.

The thing is, they know they're playing the game incorrectly. They know they have to make the move. And yes, they know that they will eventually lose out if all they do is pretend to be the platonic friend and never make the move until its too late.

But the thing is, they can't be blamed. They are wired differently. The priority for them is that noone gets hurt and things do not get awkward. The risk factor in their decision is almost nil. They always play safe. Don't get me wrong, a person who's wired this way will never hurt the one he loves and yes, they make good bf material.

But on first impressions, on the X-Factor, they come up short with a big fat zero. They lack it, and unless the girl happens to notice, or is one familiar with this topic, she picks up on it, otherwise, they get overlooked and swept aside for the tall ribbed chap with a great smile and sense of excitement.

LOL...

No, I am not sitting her emoing. I am about to start working on my CA questions due next week. This is a break. The above applies to me , yet not. I do admit, i take effort and yet play safe, but i don't pine, and i certainly move on. But for the duration i see a chance, i take effort, and hope the other party is responsive. If otherwise, i don't waste my time in an exercise in futility.

Its cold, and its unromantic. But i can't afford to mope when there is work to be done. Perhaps i have got my ideas wrong about this whole business. Perhaps not.

One thing i know is, that tutorial's not going to solve itself.

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Metallica - Turn The Page

2009-09-11T10:18:00.001-07:00

I think Metallica's version is better than the original by Bob Seger. Much darker and emo....

A ghostly whoosh and silent clicking of gears filled this night

2009-09-10T07:58:00.000-07:00

And on and on we pushed,

Braving the dark and the pain,

Pushing past 35,

While trying to stay alive

Divided we were, but united we were,

When the need arises,

In a pack we roamed,

Holding out a hand,

For those that fell,

While on this quest.

Yet, egos are aboud,

We push against the boundaries,

They claimed we would fall,

But pushed we did,

Averaging 30,

We ended with fried rice....

Just trying my hand at awful poetry. LOL

Cheers from the,

Matrix

[MTB]freeride downhill

2009-09-03T03:38:00.001-07:00

nice vid promoting the sport i have come to love =))

Jeremy Clarkson's Thriller: Aston Martin DBS

2009-09-01T04:55:00.001-07:00

I shall own this one day.....

Racism in the Elevator Official Video

2009-08-28T20:42:00.001-07:00

ROTFLOL!!!!!!!!

Linkin Park - "New Divide"

2009-08-20T19:56:00.001-07:00

new fave song =))

Igor(s) behind the YOG chain reaction mechanism

2009-08-14T21:40:00.001-07:00

Found this vid on youtube. We built this in one month, after 4 months of planning. Sleepless one month........

Its back......

2009-08-08T12:12:00.000-07:00

Its back....

Meaner, new tyres by WTB, new deraillieur hanger, tuned gears and brakes, and it just covered another 30km. Fear it.....

PS: Don't let mom know i'm back on the saddle.......

Red Bull Metro Ride, Budapest

2009-08-07T21:14:00.001-07:00

Craziness! Me like!

Perhaps i should have done this to avoid the smackings i got.....

2009-07-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

A letter to Dad...

very touching
story...

A father passing by
his son's bedroom was astonished to see that his bed was
nicely made and everything was picked up. Then he saw an
envelope, propped up prominently on the pillow that was
addressed to 'Dad.'

With the worst premonition he opened the envelope with
trembling hands and read the letter.

Dear Dad: It is with great regret and sorrow that
I'm writing you. I had to elope with my new girlfriend
because I wanted to avoid a scene with Mom and you.

I have been finding real passion with Stacy and she is so
nice.

But I knew you would not approve of her because of all her
piercing, tattoos, tight motorcycle clothes and the fact
that she is much older than I am.. But it' s not only
the passion....Dad, she's pregnant.

Stacy said that we will be very happy. She owns a trailer in the
woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. We
share a dream of having many more children.

Stacy has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana
doesn't really hurt anyone. We'll be growing
it for ourselves and trading it with the other people that
live nearby for cocaine and ecstasy..

In the meantime we will pray that science finds a cure for
AIDS so Stacy can get better. She deserves it.

Don't worry Dad. I'm 15 and I know how to take care
of myself. Someday I'm sure that we will be back
to visit so that you can get to know your
grandchildren.

Love, Your Son John

PS. Dad, none of the above is true.. I'm over at
Tommy's house.

I just wanted to remind you there are worse things in life
than the Report Card in my desk drawer.

I love you..

Call me when it's safe to come home.

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Do not freaking mess with me

2009-07-09T02:22:00.001-07:00

I had broken my arm in March. Pretty badly if you think about the bone popping out, scooping tar from the road, and dicing a few nerves so badly than i can't fully move my right thumb and i never will.

No matter, i can live with it. I am now proud to say that i am truly back to form. 7 km running no probs, gone is the flabby tummy, and a friend whom had not seen me for a whole semester said i looked bigger in a good way. So, i've grown more muscular, have a metal infused arm, and am back to playing badminton and tennis and soon, football again.

And then there is the whole shenanigan with my insurance and the idiots over at the Finance Department in NTU.

You see, i had made an SGD1500 deposit payment to the hospital that operated on me, plus another SGD500++ on medical bills , doctor's visits , transportation when i was unfit to take the MRT, and on physiotheraphy which costs SGD52.90 for every visit, and i had gone 5 times already, and counting.....

So you see, i am pretty much flat broke.

My bank account currently reads : You have SGD63 remaining. Which is pretty frightening since i'm used to it saying : You have SGD3000+ remaining.

Now, the reason i was ultimately this flat broke was when our beloved Finance Department debited SGD600+ from my account a week ago as payment for my hostel bill over the hols and for next semester DESPITE me having written and sent numerous emails explaining my high medical expenses and getting a verbal agreement from them that I could settle payment with them in August.

And so i got pissed and called the Finance Department and i got this reply:

"You received an email detailing payment to be made on the 1st of July, and so we carried it out. There is no other proof that you wanted us to postpone payment"

I HATE corporate ass covering , and i marched to their office, demanded for the officer in charge, and blasted her about inconsideration, and trust, and ass covering , and shirking responsibility.

Must have been an experience to them, having a raging student tear them down verbally without a care in the world. I had every right to be pissed. And they had better freaking know it.

So she promised me a refund in 2 weeks. It wasn't good enough i told her, and got the period shortened to one week.

Satisfied, I left, and being still pissed, i hunted down the insurance company that was delaying payment to the hospital who were in return delaying my deposit refund of SGD1500.

The following is one of the emails i sent them and their immediate reply:

Good Morning Mr Zulkifli,

I am following up on this matter with you. I have received the SGD105.80 payment from AXA, but I believe AXA has yet to make the SGD5400++ payment to NUH for my medical bills and surgery. The payment was approved on the 2^nd of Jne , yet AXA has not made the payment. I am asking why it is taking so long. The reason I am pressing this matter is that I am a student at NTU, and I have made an SGD1500 deposit payment to NUH for my surgery IN CASH. And I have made payments of a further SGD500 + for follow up appointments. As a result, I am currently running low on funds and I need the hospital to refund me the SGD1500 they owe me. They will only do so once AXA has made the payment to NUH.

I urge AXA to make this payment as soon as possible. I am frankly very surprised why it is taking so long. I had filed claims almost 3 months ago, and the paperwork checks out fine, yet AXA is so inefficient that payment is taking so long. My confidence in your company as insurance providers has been severely shaken and i am disgusted with the way things are being run. Unnecessary financial difficulties have been burdening me as a result of your inefficiency and i shall be speaking to your department head about this matter very soon, if nothing is done to remedy this apalling and disgusting situation that i find myself in.

Forgive me if I sound rude ,but please understand my current situation. I am a foreign student studying here, and I am low on funds. I have no other choice than to press this matter. What if i need emergency funds next week and i don't have them. resulting in dire consequences for me? I will be following up on this email on Monday. I hope something has been done by then to help me or the next email will be one to your departmental head about your inefficiency, failing which i shall be going to the papers about this whole episode, highlighting AXA's inefficiency and lack of care for its customers.

Yours,

Yuvaraman Viswanathan,

NTU.

Their reply was such:

Dear Yuvaraman

Our apologies for the inconvenience caused.

Our cheque to the hospital had been sent on the first week of June. Below is a reference extracted from our system. We are not sure of the reason that the hospital did not clear the cheque, or it could have been lost in the mail.

Sel Payee Batch Bank Req Amount Doc No Cheque No

Name Req Code Type Advance Paid Pay Auth Date

6033578 B 32 A 5687.27 32307572 031440

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HOSP 02/06/2009

Please rest assured that we have taken action as soon as we became aware of the matter. We have stopped the cheque to the hospital and will instead re-issue the amount that is due to you directly. This amount will be credited into your account by Monday and should clear 2 to 3 days thereafter.

If we can assist further, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Thanks.

Zulkifli Bin Bujang

Senior Executive - Accident & Health Claims

AXA Insurance Singapore Pte Ltd

143 Cecil Street #01-01 GB Building, Singapore 069542

zulkifli.binbujang@axa.com.sg

DID: (65) 6880 4658 Fax: (65) 6535 5911

Website: www.axa.com.sg

I hope they keep their word, If i see nothing in my account by next wednesday, i'm going to march down to their office and start blasting some ass covering corporate office worker.

Cheers from a "don't freaking mess with me",

Matrix

"Sell Out!" English Subtitled Official Trailer by Yeo Joon Han

2009-06-28T04:05:00.001-07:00

woah, cool movie from the homeland !!!!!

RATM -Killing in the name - official video

2009-06-27T19:17:00.001-07:00

Killing in the name of!
Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses
Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses
Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses
Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses
Huh!

Killing in the name of!
Killing in the name of

And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
But now you do what they told ya
Well now you do what they told ya

Those who died are justified, for wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
You justify those that died by wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
Those who died are justified, for wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
You justify those that died by wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites

Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses
Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses
Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses
Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses
Uggh!

Killing in the name of!
Killing in the name of

And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya
And now you do what they told ya, now you're under control (7 times)
And now you do what they told ya, now you're under control
And now you do what they told ya, now you're under control
And now you do what they told ya, now you're under control
And now you do what they told ya, now you're under control
And now you do what they told ya, now you're under control
And now you do what they told ya, now you're under control
And now you do what they told ya!

Those who died are justified, for wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
You justify those that died by wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
Those who died are justified, for wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
You justify those that died by wearing the badge, they're the chosen whites
Come on!

Yeah! Come on!

Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!
Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!
Motherfucker!
Uggh!

The Shan + Rozz Show: EP7 - The Singaporean White Boy

2009-06-19T01:11:00.001-07:00

*jaw drops*

ROTFLOL!!!

2009-06-09T05:02:00.000-07:00

Found this on a friend's blog:

I'm going to be honest of what I'm going to say here. I'm 25 this year. I'm very pretty, have style and good taste. I wish to marry a guy with $500k annual salary or above. You might say that I'm greedy, but an annual salary of $1M is considered only as middle class in New York . My requirement is not high. Is there anyone in this forum who has an income of $500k annual salary? Are you all married? I wanted to ask: what should I do to marry rich persons like you?
Among those I've dated, the richest is $250k annual income, and it seems that this is my upper limit. If someone is going to move into high cost residential area on the west of New York City Garden , $250k annual income is not enough.

I'm here humbly to ask a few questions:

1) Where do most rich bachelors hang out? (Please list down the names and addresses of bars, restaurant, gym)

2) Which age group should I target?

3) Why most wives of the riches is only average-looking? I've met a few girls who doesn't have looks and are
not interesting, but they are able to marry rich guys

4) How do you decide who can be your wife, and who can only be your girlfriend? (my target now is to get married)

*************************Ms. Pretty*****************************************

Here's a reply from a Wall Street Financial guy:

Dear Ms. Pretty,

I have read your post with great interest. Guess there are lots of girls out there who have similar questions like yours. Please allow me to analyze your situation as a professional investor. My annual income is more than $500k, which meets your requirement, so I hope everyone believes that I'm not wasting time here.
From the standpoint of a business person, it is a bad decision to marry you. The answer is very simple, so let me explain. Put the details aside, what you're trying to do is an exchange of beauty and money: Person A provides beauty, and Person B pays for it, fair and square.
However, there's a deadly problem here, your beauty will fade, but my money will not be gone without any good reason. The fact is, my income might increase from year to year, but you can't be prettier year after year. Hence from the viewpoint of economics, I am an appreciation asset, and you are a depreciation asset. It's not just normal depreciation, but exponential depre ciation. If that is your only asset, your value will be much worried 10 years later.

By the terms we use in Wall Street, every trading has a position, dating with you is also a trading position. If the trade value dropped we will sell it and it is not a good idea to keep it for long term same goes with the marriage that you wanted. It might be cruel to say this, but in order to make a wiser decision any assets with great depreciation value will be sold or leased. Anyone with over $500k annual income is not a fool; we would only date you, but will not marry you. I would advice that you forget looking for any clues to marry a rich guy. And by the way, you could make yourself to become a rich person with $500k annual income. This has better chance than finding a rich fool.

Hope this reply helps. If you are interested in leasing services, do contact me.

Signed, J.P. Morgan

Bragging Rights and a new direction!

2009-06-06T23:51:00.000-07:00

Allow me to introduce H.E.M.S

I confess , i was lost ever since i broke my arm 12 weeks ago. Everyday was a bore, nothing much to look forward to, always on the lookout for that special something i can commit to and to ease my boredom and to keep me occupied. I think i just found it XD.

Now i love projects. Something to work on for a period of time with a goal, a purpose, an end to look forward to and to work for. And i have had the extreme pleasure of being part of 4 incredible teams that have romped their way to success of sorts....all in a row!

Yeah yeah, this is shameless bragging, but i think everyone is entitled to a certain quota of it once in a while and this is some cause for celebration. Cos all 4 teams i have been a part of pulled off victories within the span of less than a year, 3 of which within one semester. Its something i value waaay more than scoring in exams.

let me introduce you to the mega 4 i am honored to have been a part of:

Singapore Youth Olympics Launch Mechanism task Force

Yeaps, the machine you saw in the news and telly was built by an inexperienced 2nd year MAE and ADM combined team within a span of 5 months. And we pulled off a totally professional job. I do admit, i miss the leadership offered by Iris especially during EID.

EID 2009 Safety and Security category Champions. SGD1k in our pockets and glory :P. Plus extra (mates, you know what i mean ;P ). We built this wirelessly controlled brake light and indicators mounted on a motorcycle helmet within 3 weeks. When you brake, the brake lights light up and the same goes when indicating turning. It increases motorcyclist safety especially in poor visibility conditions where large vehicle drivers might miss seeing the motorcyclist until its too late. Judges likes the simplicity of it and probably cos our prototype was ready to wear and fuss free i guess. In truth , i thought this team with an awesome accident detection system had won. Nice surprise :P

M1 Mechatronics team. We built 2 simple combat robots, controlled using a modified keypad within 4 days. And we won! Another pleasant surprise. Too used to being an underdog i guess. Prize was we got to attack the buffet prof provided at the end of the 2 week course.

The first ever succesful project. MAE Rube Goldberg Challenge. A 30 step chain reaction machine designed to slip a piece of laminated paper into an envelope and seal it. Built within 2 weeks at no cost from 100% recycled materials. We were runners up :P. The champions were, i admit, miles ahead of us, was awesome to see their machine work.

Now, all these projects have some form of closure, after which they are not pursued anymore. The same does not quite apply to the last one. The helmet we built has potential money making prospects and that's something noone gives up easily on.

More later on this. Hope things go well *fingers crossed*

Watch this space.....

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Perhaps

2009-05-22T22:58:00.000-07:00

Perhaps i ought to start a rock band, and then simply play covers of all things Metallica, Black Sabbath , Bon Jovi, Sum 41, Hinder ....... to name a few.

There is something sooo cool about strumming to your favourite song on a guitar and having a bunch of crazies jamming with you. I do admit, this is from that part of hidden character in me. The rock loving, head bashing , risk taking , want-to-screw-u-and tell-u-what-u-dun-wanna-hear Yuva that hardly anyone ....... no scratch that ...... that NOONE has yet encountered.

Except my mom on occasions when she bursts into my room and i happen to be in the midst of an imginary hardcore rendition of Metallica's "Some Kind of Monster" , or Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird" , lost in my own world of awesome and truly evergreen guitar rifts.

That being said, i do admit, i have never really been a fan of hip-hop / R n B blues stuff which plague the clubbing and pubbing scene.

Gimme my classic rock and heavy metal and indie rock anyday. Nothing beats down on techno crap like the magical work on a Stradivarius by a talented rock guitarist.

Perhaps

I ought to travel as far as i can and leave everyone behind for like a year or so. Meet new people, get out of my comfort zone , go on an adventure into the unfamiliar. Mmmmm , South Africa sounds exotic enough.

Wish I had enough cash to do that. Never mind, will do that ONCE! or more if i happen to enjoy it =))

My roomie and I were thinking of taking a looong road trip with our bikes after graduation. After mine at least (he graduates a year earlier). I hope to have a new bike by then. Because of my brother ratting me out to THE MOM , i officially have a problem with her until i sell it off.

Perhaps.....

Cheers from the,

Matrix

3Focus Trailer

2009-05-17T09:05:00.001-07:00

Just makes me want to go and RIDE!!!!!

Its officially the end of the road :(

2009-05-13T09:22:00.000-07:00

My dear mother called me last night.

She calls me, and normally asks how i'm doing, do i need any cash , hows school life , when am i coming home , ...... well you get the picture...

And so she called me, and immediately asked me wether i had been cycling. To which i quite naturally answered yes. I can never lie to my mother. Yes, this seems very small kiddy of me, but when asked a direct question, i can either avoid it or tell the truth. Guess the lying part was whacked out of me by the numerous canings and slaps i got as a kid from my aunts, uncles and parents.

Anyway, after i answered yes, she gave my a motherly shelling along these lines:

Ma : Have you been cycling?

Me : Yes

Ma : What did i tell you? You just broke your hand and want to be a hero is it? Go sell your bike now i tell you

Me : But, its the only hobby i have! I'll be bored without it!

Ma : I don't care. Your studies are more important. Do you want to end up in hospital again? Promise me you'll sell your bike.

Me : WHAT? But....

Ma : PROMISE ME!

Me : *silence*............... ok ok ok.......

Ma : Good..... so when are you coming home?

Me : In june after my projects are over....

Ma : Ok, good. I'll put down the phone now. Bye

And so, as of now, my biking days are over until next year. To be quite honest, i feel lost. A hobby gives me some sort of stability, some form of release, something to let me take my mind of things for a bit.

Which is why as of now , i shall be dabbling in BEAM-botics. Building small, cheap , simple robots which run on solar power. It's fun, will give me experience in basic robotics and i can always gift my creations (if any, fingers crossed) to my besties.

And so, my dear Jamis, i bid adieu. May you new owner be as loving as the one who tortured you heartless, for which i beg forgiveness.

PS: A dark blue 2009 Jamis Trail X2, orignial price SGD 550, is now on sale for a mere SGD300. I'll throw in a saddle pouch and LED lights for free.

Contact me @ +65-97481107

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Of flooded jungles, muddy bikes and broken limbs

2009-05-10T09:53:00.000-07:00

YES! We survived!

My roomie and I have had our share of injuries

Him crushing his ankle during rubgy and breaking it.

And me taking a spill and enjoying bone tearing through my forearm.

We both have had metal plates inserted in said injured are, only diff being mine's permanent. And so, me being a tad bit impatient to get my arse back on the saddle, decided to hit the Tampines mtb trail with him.

It was a bit of a bad decision thinking of it now. It had rained only hours before and as expected, the whole trail was flooded and muddy. No matter, though we came out with our bikes dyed a lovely brown, it was so damn worth it.

Perhaps this may come across as quite unfathomable, but really, pushing your bike through muddy and flooded trails, soaking your socks, risking life and limb , and clearing obstacles with jumps is pretty darn fun.

And today i truly learnt, u need not spend a lot in pimping your bike with the latest components. You just need goor tyres, good disc brakes, and your set to have fun!

Which reminds me, high time i ditched those lousy Maxxis tyres and upgrade to Kenda Nevegals. And new disc brakes if i have cash later on.

Tampines is my 3rd trail, and Roomie's first. The easiest and most ultra fun ride i have ever had. We followed a more experienced rider into the jungle trail and boy was it flooded. Water coming up to your pedals, mud caking the bike as we tortured them......

goatee! I kind of look older with it....

bikes we tortured

Wella

Jamis

3 buck wash. I think its worth it. Trust me, when u reach home at 8pm, with blitzed legs, you DO NOT want to wash your bike.

Louis Garnieu bike gloves. WAAAY more comfy than my old Reeboks. Damn paramedic who cut it off...

Word of wisdom. If you cycle frequently, INVEST in a good pair of gloves and a good helmet. And WEAR the helmet and gloves everytime you go for a ride. Gloves prevent sweaty palms from slipping on grips. Helmet protects ur noggin' . WEAR the damn thing if u have it. Better off surviving a headlong crash rather than looking like a geek.

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Holidays!

2009-05-02T20:26:00.000-07:00

Been youtubing trailers all day long. I seriously want to watch these:

1) Transformers 2 : Revenge of the Fallen

2) Terminator Salvation

3) Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince ...... not been a big fan of the past Potter movies, but this one looks dark.

4) Angels and Demons

5) Inkheart

6) Monsters VS Aliens

7) 9 ....yes, its a movie title. Starting to really enjoy 3D films.

Am really excited about EID. Finally, another project after 4 months.

Am finally back on the bike saddle again. And starting to go long distance again. Physio and my surgeon were very surprised at the recovery process. From bone sticking out of arm and damaged muscle , mutilated skin and nerve damage , to a arm that is already capable of hanging on to a bike , lifting refridgerators and playing Left 4 Dead without a hitch in just 2 months (a 25 yr old takes almost 4 months it seems for such an injury)

It makes me feel like Wolverine. Indestructable.

I have made a complete U turn and have decided not to sell my bike. I love it and will upgrade it slowly.

This sem was awfully interesting. Did stuff i have nvr done before. very fulfilling. Here's to the coming sem.

PS: I Hope we can still go to Hong Kong in July. Damn swine flu..

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Pragmatism? Does Singapore need less of it?

2009-04-23T23:49:00.000-07:00

Lets not beat around the bush shall we? Singaporeans are incredibly pragmatic. It all boils down to the interesting question my roomie posed in our interesting conversations on the singaporean society in general:

"As long as Singaporean earn a comfortable living, and have the means to afford consumerism as a form of religion, why question what the government does? Its all working out fine despite we living in what can described as technically a one party state."

True, MM Lee has brought Singapore a loong way indeed. Heck, Malaysia pales in comparison, and for that matter, every other SEA country. The best universities in the region and even in Asia are in Singapore. A stable economy, a safe city, a civil society.

But things have to be more than that. I admire the Singaporen education system. Its unforgiving and grinds out students with a lot of potential.

But its also wrong in one sense. It stifles creativity of thought and subtly forces everyone to conform to one method, one path to success, one system.

This fact is pretty much true in a lot of Asian countries.

So why isn't Singapore boldly trying something new? I mean, if all the talk about making competitive and dynamic people is true, education is a place to start, but its not the core method of going about it.

People have to be encouraged to be less pragmatic and more courageous to try something new. Introduce a bit eccentricity. And i don't believe that will happen as long as the prejudices connected to being a loser in school exists

Where from the minute you enter the education system, its all about aiming for the limited JC places, and then on to university after which the promise of a better life exists. Polytechnic and ITEs (Institute of technical Education) is seemed inferior in comparison and its a prejudice that is extremely difficult to wipe from the minds of Singaporeans.

A poly grad earns less in the first few years than a uni student. It doesn't make sense as we all forget what we learn in uni anyway. And don't scoff at me. Even though you reading this might be on the way to a first class honors degree , is it really the most important aspect of your life?

Singaporeans will say yes. My parents will say yes. ASIANS will say yes. Its in our nature to equate education with a good life. Its an excellent path and dogma to adhere by, but its not the only one nor is it the best.

The best would be to take an individual, and to truly make him/her flexible and dynamic and to strip him/her of prejudices and fear to try something new and to do things differently.

Asian education is trying to do this, but its a pathetic attempt. Singapore needs to look into this more, and one place to start would be to uninstall the damn cameras in Hong Lim Park and to let people speak freely about politicians and even MM Lee Kuan Yew.

For despite everything he has done, he is nothing more than a servant of the nation, not a king. He serves YOU , the Singaporeans , and it is YOU he should fear and not the other way around.

Perhaps it is the fear in us to lose control of a situation, and i believe the Singapore government fear widespread anti government sentiments and dissent once it opens that can of worms.

WHAT? LET PEOPLE JUST SAY THINGS ABOUT GOVERNMENT!? IN PUBLIC? CAN PROTEST WITHOUT PERMIT ANYWHERE? WAAAH!! ANARCHY MAN!?

I think not. The less control government has on what people say and do, the better. People will talk more, question things and ideas more. Non conformists will emerge, and probably inspire other as well to do things differently.

On an entirely different note, i believe taxpayer money should be diverted from nonsensical baby bonuses and into the private sector to fund paternal leave.

YES! I AM NOT JOKING.

Iceland and Nordic states are doing it. Companies grant dads paternal leave for even an entire year. It makes having a baby more appealing. Mother is not home alone most of the time , kid's development is better with a father around and the family as a whole become closer.

If that's not worth investing in, i dunno what is?

Oh hang on, an expensive military budget for "security" reasons is...darn, MM Lee sure got the NS program right..... and whoop di do.....he's now gone from limiting births to trying to get more young people to have more sex, hook up and churn out kids.

Its like the Matrix! Government equals machines and the citizens are mere tools. Awfully scary.

Anyway, read this article on what's going on in Denmark and Iceland with the paternal leave thing. Divorce rates are improving as well. Of course they will dummy!? Daddy at home spending time helping Mommy with baby, it creates a strong bond.....duh!

BBC Article Here. Cick Away!

Singaporeans need to be less pragmatic.

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Enter the Goatee.....

2009-04-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

trying without specs, think it works much better than the last pic

gimme yong tau foo or else........

don't mess with a hungry KL-ite

Trying a goatee look. Gimme comments people......negative ones welcome , go crazy....

Cheers from,

Goatee Matrix

{HQ} Wonder Girls - Nobody [MV]

2009-04-19T07:52:00.001-07:00

K-Pop is taking over the world!!!! Listen to this and i guarantee you this song will be stuck in your head...XD

Matrix

American Boy Parody-"First Asian Boy"

2009-04-19T04:05:00.001-07:00

"we're nice and compact"

ROTFLOL!!!"

Cheers from,

Matrix

Project P.U.M.A. (HD)

2009-04-18T07:50:00.001-07:00

This is uber cool for city transport. Battery powered kickabout for getting around.

Back to form?

2009-04-17T06:09:00.000-07:00

Managed to drag Twei out for a run XD. And i tricked her into running a longer route XDXD.

Alright, i will admit, i was feeling guilty after munching on KitKat and some Cadbury chocolate coated digestive biscuits i found a value dollar shop for 3.50SGD each. So worth it cos both are LARGE and imported from UK.

I tell u, after eating the cadbury's from UK, the stuff from Australia pales. And lets not even talk about the stuff from KL. I'd go to Mustaffa's just to stock up on mega bars of dairy milk and hazelnut from UK.

Anyways , i dragged her up the SBS hill , and deliberately increasing the pace uphill and finishing off at hall 4. Expected to die after not running for 3 months, and i didn't! (so gonna reward myself with more kitkat and some long island tea roomie got ... *hehe*)

Though i will admit, i am still bloody far from badminton and tennis. Muscles in right arm have weakened considerably and my biceps feel like Jell-O.

Oh well, 1 month and i will be fit again and ready to get back on the bike saddle.

Cheers from the,

Matrix

PS: Physio is more painful than i though :S

enter the Terminator

2009-04-15T01:33:00.001-07:00

What the 2 stainless steel plates look like. Was shocked. Never expected it to be so large....

Oh well, terminator Yuva =P

Cheers!

Matrix

Cause i have time to burn......

2009-04-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

Roomie did a post on his top ten most beautiful women........

Think i'll follow suit..... cos i'm bored and tired of staring at circuits....... (the downside of only studying for 2 paper which deal with nothing but electronics)

I won't rank the following gorgeous women , they're all drop dead gorgeous anyway.....

Ivanka Trump

Unlike spoilt brat Paris Hilton, she's got brains , and prepped up and ready to run a business empire. The epitome of the "don't mess with me" strong woman. Plus she's hot.

Miss Sharapova

I like tennis , nuff said...

Nora Jones

Daughter of indian musician Ravi Shankar. Uber talented jazz and blues singer....

Alexandra Kosteniuk

Russian chess grandmaster at age 14. Definite turn on....

Gwyneth Paltrow

Cos i just like her.....

Audrey Hepburn

Talented , beautiful and Breakfast at Tiffany's.....

Katrina Kaif

absolutely drop dead gorgeous indian actress........ like her cos....duh, am indian.....

Nandita Das

talented indian actress , director , and a former jury member at the Cannes film festival. Famous for acting in controversial roles for indian actresses including a guerilla fighter in Sri Lanka and a prostitute. She's daring , smart and plucky. Me like.

righto, getting back to circuits =P

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Need to save.....

2009-04-13T01:52:00.000-07:00

Next ride? The 2009 Jamis Dakota Elite

Apologies, this is yet another biking post........

Went for and X ray today and the doc was happy with the healing process. Apparently i can cycle again, but no rough stuff and absolutely no offroading for at least another 6-12 weeks.

Oh well, left hospital after 3pm and decided on impulse to go down to Chinatown to check out the new Jamis Dakota Elite the chap said he had just imported.

And now i am seriously considering buying it sometime during my Industrial Attachment when i have cash.

Asking price is SGD1300, but for this he promised me:

1) XT rear derailleur

2) XT Front derailleur

3) XT chain

4) SLX crankset

5) SLX shifters

6) Shimano M486 Hydraulic disc brakes. I can add another 100 and upgrade to Magura disc brakes, which will drop kick Avid Juicy 7s all the way to Mars.

7) Fox Saddle pouch

8) Topeak bottle holder

9) Giro helmet, can choose ANY one in the shop

10) Crank Brothers 5050 platform pedals

11) Upgrade to RockShox Tora front suspension with lockout.

12) Obviously a bike chain and LED lamps from Cateye included also XD

the uber beautiful Shimano SLX crankset

Crank Brothers 5050s ....possibly the best platform pedals in the world

all in for SGD 1300 if i stick to the Shimano brakes which quite honestly are very good.

FINAL BIKE WEIGHT = 11.8 kilos

Its serious value for money. A bike that light with high end components for less than 1500SGD. Truth be told i could get similar components on a bike for about 1000, but i'd get only get a heavier Polygon or GT Avalanche frame.

NOT A FREAKING SUB 12 kg XC racing bike frame!!! (Its got some carbon fibre moulded in it to make it lighter)

Shimano SLX groupset

I could possibly save another 50-100 bucks if i just leave everything as Shimano SLX, but i sooo want an XT-SLX combi. Reviews online say its one of the best pairings.......

soooo tempted.....

Roomie Moments

2009-04-11T22:47:00.000-07:00

Me : DUDE! Lets just go to JP, buy heck a lot of sausages and have a sausage fest!!!!

Roomie : *awkward silence and stare*

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Me : Dude! Room's waaaay too hot man.....

Roomie : Well, when u have 2 hot shirtless guys inside, things heat up......

*silence follows*

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Me : *hold up Oreos* These are good for you.......

Roomie : *weeps and reaches for them*

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Roomie : DUDE! Lets just go to JP for dinner and have some good food!

Me : How bout a movie also?

Roomie : Dun want, need to study. Eh, lets go to IMM instead.....say 3 hours to go and come back...

Me: Ok.

Roomie : how about Marina instead?

Me: Ok...

Roomie : damn, too far liao, I hate NTU.......

Me : wonder where 2 guys can go to in Singapore to have fun.......

*more awkward silence follows*

Cheers,

Matrix

Walking With A Ghost by Tegan and Sara

2009-04-11T19:18:00.001-07:00

A simple song with simple rifts and lyrics which make no sense. Still love it though =P

Enjoy!

Extreme Mexican Mountain Biking

2009-04-08T06:07:00.001-07:00

woah........

MASH SF AUSTIN WITH LANCE ARMSTRONG

2009-04-07T01:44:00.001-07:00

The reason i seriously want to sell my mtb and custom build a single speed messenger bike :P

Enjoy the vid.

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Next Project :P

2009-04-06T08:38:00.001-07:00

gorgeous no?

Its a single speed street bike i can actually custom build myself. Get a cheap steel frame, give it a white undercoat and another white layer of metal paint on it. Get some cool stickers and maybe stencil some art work on the frame.

And then modify the hell out of it.

Polished cranks from Surly, Shimano hubs with quick release , Surly rear single speed cog, Mavic rims , Continental street bike tyres or perhaps something from Maxxis or Kenda.

Get a cheap used dropdown handle bar like so:

chop off the really curved ends and install it upside down. Get some good V brakes from Tektro or Avid. And then, get this baby:

Brooks leather seat and tool bag.

Online street bike reviews toot this as the most comfy seat out there. The leather pouch looks uber cool too.

And then i'm gonna buy a cheap bag for carrying the bike on the MRT. Should be light without an expensive Shimano gear system on it.

And i should guess the whole build would cost about SGD 300 only. I can pick up a cheap frame and then get a new one once i thrash it. Components can be reinstalled , hence the reason for expesive and good ones.

Can't wait for my hand to heal so i get down to it XD

Cheers from an excited,

Matrix

SWT

2009-04-05T23:53:00.000-07:00

I wonder why people go through so much trouble to not appear to be the "losing side" of an argument , a contest , a debate ...whatever. What is so wrong about admitting fault, or defeat, and moving on, or better, sitting down and plotting out (maybe plotting is not such a good word) a comeback better than before?

Why bother being so "kiasu" and trying to "save face" when all you end up doing is coming out as a fako and as a person so insecure with his/her own self that any form of personal attack on his/her self's competency is something that has to be avoided at all times?

You're not perfect , deal with it, play the game, go with the flow, bend with the wind and cross your fingers and hope for the best.

Confused?

Well, i'd be surprised if you aren't.

I see this all the time among my coursemates. Students so caught up with the whole idea that they need to show that they are constantly one step ahead and better than the next person so much to the point that it becomes an obsession.

I should know, i was like that in my school days. An uber competitive 17 year old, trying to max out his grades so that he could prove he was the best. Pointless actually. Thank god i got a hobby and a life when i came to uni.

someone i dont want to talk about (SIDWTA) : Hey, why did you use so many AND logic gates in that design?

Me : *shrugs* If you know a better way, tell me.

SIDWTA : Actually, not to say that i don't know, but really i think its too many leh. Maybe must ask prof, see what he thinks, dunno if exam come out or not.

Me : errr, ok, go ahead then.

SIDWTA : I think you must ask, i have a design also, not that i dunno also, but i want to make sure it is ok first before i show him. Use your design and show him, see what he thinks...then can tell me ar? I'll give you my email.

Me : ermm, ok *takes email, and then throws into bin after dude leaves*

These people need common courtesy, more humility, less obsession with exams and most importantly, a LIFE.

See you on the flipside!

Cheers from the,

Matrix

There is Progress!

2009-04-02T05:04:00.000-07:00

Week 3 since enjoying the feeling of bone poking its way through my forearm and:

1) the 7 and 10 cm cuts in my arm (to insert steel plates) have fully healed (only scab and battle scars left).

2) finished almost all of the ridiculous admin work to postpone my graduation and to make sure my grades this sem do not register a big fat zero.

3) Finally succeded in scrunching a stressball properly with my right hand.

4) forced myself to write a bit more smoothly so come exam i can probably still write in in ......mmmm.....a day....

5) DONE EVERYTHING ON MY OWN! *beams*. Including mastering proper teeth brushing and shaving with my left hand in 2 days after hospital discharge, wearing pants and buttoned shirts and decent formal wear (for a presentation) with one hand and moving my bed with my left hand so that i can sleep under the fan.

6) LED MY LIFE AS USUAL! (including going out for drinks , movies, looking for medical aids , completing homework (some of it) and showing people that its not that big deal of an injury anyway. Its only 2 months away from full strength :P

7) I am getting tired of telling people about what happened though.

8) I still cannot use a fork and a knife POLITELY. What i do resembles how leatherface chainsaws his victims (Re: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre).

There is progress.....watch this space for more :P

Cheers from the,

Matrix

The Noose: National University Orientation Game

2009-03-28T21:55:00.001-07:00

ROTFLOL!!!! Check out other "The Noose" vids on youtube!

Cheers,

Matrix

I think i got a pretty good bargain in the end......

2009-03-27T06:35:00.000-07:00

It has been confirmed. As of now, i will be graduating a full semester later than all my buddies and fellow mechatronics students.

I messed up my right arm from a stupid biking accident. I kinda don't get why most people gape when i cooly tell them,

"yeah, i won't convocate with you guys"

Cause really, is trying to graduate early really worth all the trouble? Ok, i'm taking 7 modules this semester, 6 of which are examinable and i'm only going to sit for 2 exams.

Reason is, even though i know i can recover in time for exams, i hvae not done any prep for any exam barring the 2 i want to sit for. My arm was toasted and i can't write much, hence with minimal prep, i am not going to risk sitting for 6 exams.

Instead, i will sit for 2. Its a trade off actually. Relax and do them, try to get off with 2 B+ s, and what i get in return is a final semester in which i need only do 5 modules, only 3 examinable and one Human Resource Management.

Confused?

Okay, this semester, i will sit for only 2 exams, one mechatronics systems interfacing (sounds cheem, but its really quite simple cept for the last 2 chapters) and one circuits and electronics module.

I will then continue with my syllabus as usual, going through years 3 and 4 and doing my Final Year Project.

After which , i will stay back for another semester completing my year 2 modules and one year 4 one i want to take later which is Human Resource Management. A module a lot of final year students say is a drag and wastes times you could utilise for your FYP.

So, i get a final year without a Human Resource module taxing me, and i can do it in style in my final relaxing semester.

I have decided not to overload the next 2 years with modules in a bid to graduate early. Going out on stage decked in robes and being with your pals on a supposedly special day that is called the Convocation is totally not worth 2 years of excruciating stress. I am not a genius and need time to absorb and learn and also:

I CANNOT FREAKING SIT AND MUG ALL DAY, I HAVE A LIFE, I WANT TO BIKE, I WANT TO PLAY SPORTS AND GET INVOLVED IN PROJECTS!

I think its a pretty good bargain. Just drafted out my proposed 2 year plan and sent it off to the Assistant Chair of Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace. Chap actually liked the detailed plan a lot and promised me he will push the Academic Services blokes to approve it.

*sits back and heaves a sigh of satisfaction*

Now i only hope the modules i planned out don;t get changed or something. That plan took some time to work out (not been studying for a week, what with running about and sweet talking profs and the beureaucrats in MAE who can get things moving).

Pretty good training for negotiating future administrative webs actually, me like.

Rights, i am proud to say the 26 stitches on my arm has been removed by a grumpy nurse , and i hvae been lambasted by my doctor to stay as inactive as possible, and I CAN TYPE WITH 2 HANDS!!!!!

On the downside, my bandaged arm is now caked in dead skin and smells......interesting. 2 weeks until my next batch of X rays and tests.

Final say: Nothing is gonna keep me from going about life as usual XD. And i will buy a better bike when i hit full form in the next one year.

FYI: I love the 2009 Jamis Durango. This time i'll get Avid Juicy 7 hydraulic disc brakes, Mavic rims, Kenda tyres and a full deore XT setup. Should have cash after my industrial attachment XD.

Cheers from a upbeat and bouncy,

Matrix

The Crisis of Credit Visualized - Part 2

2009-03-23T09:50:00.003-07:00

Part 2

Matrix

The Crisis of Credit Visualized - Part 1 ...

2009-03-23T09:50:00.001-07:00

Do watch!!!

Matrix

I cannot understand the 5.0 mentality

2009-03-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

I used to be an underachiever. I used to settle for so much less. I mean this in quite another way. Truth be told, i wasted my time trying to always be the best at academics throughout my school life. I think it would have been relevant back then, but i could have done so much more and still retained my grades.

And i vow this shall not continue.

it truly sickens me when almost everyone i meet on campus are paranoid about getting a cap of like 4.5 plus plus. I guess it stems from the general perception that a first class honor means better job opportunities and pay grade.

Now i do not know how relevant that is to other degrees. I know this for sure, mechanical engineers, get your fat arses off your books and get your hands dirty in projects, even small ones that seem insignificant.

People in industry want balanced people. People with knowledge from books, and at the same time, apt enough to know what the hell is an M4 screw. I will be frank here. I am no longer aiming for a cap of above 4.0 . Will take any GPA above that now as a bonus (currently on 4.12)

Its tiresome to keep mugging to keep ur GPA high for some pointless reason and simply to satisfy your ego. I have bigger fish to fry. I want to design products in my free time and i want to enter them into the numerous online design competitions i see whenever i go visiting my favourite design websites.

I want to break free from the monotone that is a mugger's life on campus. A person obsessed with grades. A person with hardly any sense of adventure, fun and is not a risk taker. And i shall. Keep watching this space...

Cheers from a very clear about what he wants,

Matrix

Accident prone....

2009-03-16T17:50:00.000-07:00

I am accident prone. Mostly during sports. ESPECIALLY during a sport i have just picked up. Me thinks it stems from my gung ho, "I must conquer this sport ASAP" attitude, leading me to a state where i'd try to copy stuff i see more experienced people doing, quite naturally leading me to trouble.

All of which have never actually been serious. At most, a scraped knee or a twisted ankle at worst (when i tried to chip a football really really high but my foot dug into the ground instead).

I bought a mountain bike 3 months ago. Always wanted one after last June's 128km bike rally where i fell absolutely in love with my rental 21 speed Polygon. I used 2 bikes btw during the rally. The first one died after numerous jumps off curbs and hard pumping and rapid gear shifting 30 clicks into the rally. The replacement was a similar bike.

And then i started reading mountain biking blogs and websites A LOT and the desire to own my own machine grew and grew until i finally splurged on a spiffing new Jamis Trail X2. I wanted something unique , and Jamis' are pretty rare in Singapore. Something cheaper and different from the armies of Cannondales, Treks and Scotts i normally see.

I loved it. My first foray was a long ride to NUS, followed by a feeble attempt at the notorious Kent Ridge trail.

Immediately the following weekend, i rode to the Bukit Timah area and tackled the trail alone. And my gung ho attitude got me my first tumble and an expensive repair. The rear wheel was dented and the poor bike had to be half carried/half wheeled almost 3 clicks out of the jungle.

And i started toying with the idea of upgrading. My Shimano Alivio rear derailleur could not keep up with my demands on the Bkt Timah trail. And so i made the switch the Deore LX.

By now, i had infected my Roomie with the bike fever, and he splurged 200bucks to tune and fix up his Wheeler and we made expeditions into the Clementi area and around Boon Lay for supper and shopping.

By now i had plans to go really serious into biking. And i signed up for a 20km bike bashing Bike Hash through jungles with a group of like minded crazy bike fanatics called the Singapore Bike Hash. The ride was supposed to be on last Sunday, and then this happened:

Yeah, those are paramedics trying to move me into an ambulance

Now I kid you not. I am good at controlling my bike downhill and at high speeds. The tuesday before the bike hash, i was training for the killer pace for 20 clicks by pushing my bike uphill on NTU's notoriously long hills without using the low gears.

There was this one particular favourite of mine, cos it had:

1) A long steep, hard climb
2) A longer steeper downhill with 2 tight turns i normally tackle full speed.

And i so, i broke out my bike gloves at 10.30pm and very soon was huffing up said hill. And then i switched to my high gears for the descent and was flying when i came to tight turn # 1. Problem was, the rode was wet and when i touched my brakes to check my speed a little for more control, the front brake stuck to the rim and the bike started wobbling.

I panicked and pressed gently down on my rear brakes. They stuck as well and the bike's tyres screeched as the bike slid downhill at almost 30km/h. The turn came up fast. I made the decision and shift my weight to the left to prepare for a controlled fall and skid downhill. Will probably escape with a badly scraped leg and arm, but my expensive derailler on the right would be saved.

And then the darn bike gave a violent wobble and flipped onto its right. I flew and stupidly put out my right arm to stop myself. Hit the ground hard and flipped over my head before sliding a bit more downhill. Lay there for a while and slowly picked myself up. And my right arm was wobbling like Jell-O and i saw bit of white poking out with something that looked like tar on the end of it.

I felt faint and sat down again. Headlights pierced the darkness and i saw a van with 2 men jump out. Campus security.

They moved me to the roadside and in the process, tortured me quite unknowingly. My bike was picked up and heaved to the side as well.

Now i was in deep trouble. I had no phone, no wallet, and my exams were a month away. I called one guy over and asked him to call my handphone. It was one of those lucky days my Roomie actually picked up the phone and immediately sent word out to Garen and Raj and Ain whom were in the South Spine at the moment, and then he rushed out.

Garen, Raj and Ain arrived first. Roomie came second and the freaking ambulance was last. There was this paramedic i quite liked, cos she was crapping most of the time to keep me occupied while she fastened my mangled right arm to a splint. And then she finally told me to do the decisive action:

" Hey, try to move your fingers"

I struggled and moved all 5 and my Roomie heaved a sigh of relief. And then i was quickly picked up like a piece of fish and tossed onto a strecher and then into the ambulance.

I was pretty depressed at this point with thoughts of exams and of losing an arm and what not. Garen called Audrey and handed the phone to me. It was very comforting to hear the familiar cheerful voice.

I was wheeled into emergency. My brother had already been called and he came in after they injected me with morphine.

My folks were called and the doc explained what happened and that i needed surgery. He explained the procedure and got the go ahead.

I have a bone to pick by the way with one chap doing his housemanship in emergency. Chap tried to inject a saline drip into my hand, made a furious click after some time and gave me a sympathetic look:

"Dude, this is the worst day of your life"

Chap had failed to locate my vein and mis injected me. The first needle was pulled out, the bleeding was stopped and a second succesful attempt was made.

And then i was sent for an xray which was torture. X Ray dude twisted my arm in various positions to get a proper shot for the surgeons. And then i was wheeled into surgery and i went into a blissful sleep.

Woke up and saw my brother's face looking curiously at me. Apparently i had been blabbing under sedation. No idea what i had let slip.

Extent of Injury

(consults medical report)

err....open fracture on right radius and closed fracture on right ulna. I hit tarmac hard and my right hand buckled. The bone tore through the skin and muscle and dug slightly into the road. Apparently there was some tar on it and the surgeons had to saw off that bit.

My arm has been reinforced by 2 stainless steel plates, measuring 9cm and 7cm in length respectively. They will remain as a permanent addition to my arm. Maybe now i can be like Wolverine or something hoho.

Boy, getting thru customs now would be quite a challenge.

Hospital is depressing. At least for someone used to good health and an active lifestyle. And i sure was glad when my besties came around to visit me on both days of full hospital stay. I was formerly of opinion i can take any lonely condition i can be dumped into. Being in pain and boredom, having people laughing and joking around you really helps.

I guess the cutest person i saw whom really brightened my day was Wenyan's 10 year old sis i saw on thursday night. Woman, if you're reading this, thanks for the cereal and crackers and that act cute sis u brought along.

All in all, I have got to be one of the luckiest chaps around. No head or neck injuries, hardly any abrasions, tons of close pals who stuck by me in a time i really needed them all and an uber responsible big brother.

Right, tired out from one hand typing, so am out.

Cheers from a glad to be alive,

Matrix

Little Boots Stuck on repeat (Radio Edit)

2009-03-10T05:55:00.001-07:00

Got this song off roomie's facebook post. I think its awesome and never really noticed it while he was playing it in the room.

Neways, Enjoy!

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Bike friendly? Guess not...

2009-03-10T02:17:00.000-07:00

Singapore is called many things. Some good , some rather unflattering. But bike friendly this place aint.

Truth be told, it is safe to cycle on the road here, as long as you keep your cool and are a confident rider. But there lies the problem. The average cyclist dares not ride on the road, and sticks to pavements instead.

The government is adressing this issue by introducing whole network of park connectors, which just goes to show the patronising attitude of everyone in parliament. The park connecto network is fine.....if you want to cycle for leisure, NOT for the person who is seriously using his bike as a form of transport.

But i'm not gonna blab on about bike lanes and pavement widening. I find it pretty fine to cycle about in the city. I do have a major issue with the folks from SMRT. Somehow they don't quite get the whole bike friendly issue.

The cycling community has clamoured for longer trains with special carriages at the ends to cater for bikes, but we get the , "SMRT has to deal with the grime and mud etc from bikes".

Ok fine, understood. The least you could do is NOT harass us when we disassemble our bikes and bring it in a large bag onto the trains.

But no.

We get threatened with fines and the SMRT employees give us dirty looks. It really defeats the purpose of a bike when u can't use it beyond 20 clicks for an average rider cause of fatigue. I tried to bring my disassembled 19 incher Jamis to Boon Lay yesterday to test the claims of biker forums which if given the chance would tie all the SMRT buggers to their fork suspensions and go careening down the Bukit Timah trail.

I was stopped and told, "Eh, cannot bring that in, go go!"

I mean dude, you could be more polite to a chap taking the whole, "Cycling is good!" campaigns by the government seriously.

I won't be deterred. Thiong Hin (bike shop in Upper Serangoon with apparently the cheapest and best deals in town according to Roomie) is stocking up on bike bags at the end of this month.

If any SMRT person tries to stop me then, he'll get the finger.

Cheers from a rebellious,

Matrix

Tis the season to be injured....

2009-03-07T22:05:00.000-08:00

Over the past 3 years, i have done the following:

1) Busted my right ankle after a stupid tackle during football in Form 5

2) Stepped while in full flight on a baby durian, totalling my LEFT ankle causing me to hobble about for nearly a month before the A Lvl finals

3) Miskicked a football , reigniting my right ankle injury.

4) Fallen onto concrete KNEE first after a mistimed basketball layup.

5) Fallen headfirst onto rocks after taking a spectacular tumble on my bike in Bukit Timah (thank god for my Giro helmet) , wrenching my right shoulder and having my left knee crumple under the weight of the bike as it followed my body.

I swear, though the face twisting pain was existant, no lasting injury remained, until quite recently everything is starting to give way.

My right shoulder is feeling stiff of late since i started cycling long distance a lot.

My ankle pains have returned , especially during badminton and football (i skipped last week's badminton cause of it).

My right knee hurts, though its not stopped me from cycling every other day.

Excuse the whining, but its frustrating. Not very much the pain, cause its pretty much minimal, but its the body parts working issue. They just don't want to be pushed anymore.

I FEEL OLD :(

Perhaps its high time i really spent and went to see a good physio. This cannot be prolonged anymore.

Cheers from a very frustrated and injured,

Matrix

Marilyn Manson - If I Was Your Vampire (Instrumental)

2009-03-03T05:52:00.001-08:00

this is the only Marilyn Manson song i really enjoy so far. The great guitar rift and drumming, i just think its an uber cool piece of music.

Embedding blocked, so , listen to it here

The song with his singing is pretty awesome too, but would not sit well with a lot of people not used to heavy metal, so try this version!

Enjoy!

Cheers from the ,

Matrix

Heineken: Walk-in Fridge

2009-02-28T17:09:00.001-08:00

One of my current fave ads ;)

Enjoy!

Cheers and Good Morning from,

Matrix

Of sweat, heartbreaks , and well spent money

2009-02-28T02:26:00.001-08:00

the much loved Whella and Jamis resting after a blasting on Singapore's pavements

The Jamis has been hitting tarmac a lot lately , cause i want to avoid injury this semester and partly cause i fear expensive repairs ever since the last time the Bkt Timah trail laid waste to my Wiemann Zac rims.

And so, i've been all the way to the Marina area and back , and done the NUS-NTU route thrice (twice with roomie) and blasted the 10 clicks of clear open road on Lim Chu Kang.

Hardly the best use of a mountain bike, but oh well.....

Roomie got back yesterday and then we decided to chucks work and just take a ride. Mainly cause Whella's casette was wacked (one sprocket had broken off after 5 years of hardship).

Found a replacement at a shop in Clementi. Twas a SR Suntour , but very decent quality, and so we made the repair.

I must stop and say at this point, people in the west of singapore are generally quitegrumpy and carry this aura of hardship and depression around them. And they infect the mood of others with it.

The shopkeeper was grumpy , his assistant was grumpy, even the damn popiah lady we bought a snack from was grumpy.

Sad to say this was reflected on the popiah which was a pretty sad looking thing indeed.

Damn.

Oh well, at least we got Whella up and running and we made it to NUS, saw Ming Han (an old A lvl pal from KL) and even dropped in on bro to say hi. Nice.

And then we hit Vivo...

At this point we were so pumped up and were like..,

"Yo! Lets do this! Lets push all the way home and ride in like conquerers of Troy to hall"

and then things went wrong.......

ouch

Yeah, that came out near NUS

Whella had a mind of its own. The bike was soo damn good and smart, she had progressed from handling terrain and riding awesomely to slowly bankrupting my roomie. The pedals were apparently loose and slowly ate away at the thread in the crankset, totalling them.

And so we were stranded near NUS and i desperately called Wenyan for taxi numbers.

At this point heartbreak and money loss, having crippled roomie's soul had started to get to me and we decided to save money and wheel the bikes as far as we could until around 8.30 pm to avoid the blasted 30% peak hour taxi charges.

It was far.....

We reached Clementi Avenue West around 8.20pm, then decided to try our luck and made for the bikeshop with the grumpy towkay.

IT WAS FREAKING OPEN!!!! ( generally astonishing cause most bike shops close by 8pm)

Grumpy man allowed us to leave the bikes there overnight and he'd fix it tomorrow.

Allow me to digress a bit. The Jamis came with a stock Shiman Alivio rear derailleur. For non cyclists, its the mechanism which changes the rear gears for you. Expensive ones have are made of better materials and use better springs, and the Alivio is considered a decent, but not quite the top end stuff.

Now, Audrey (uni mate) owns a GT with an Alivio setup and apparently her read d was a bit wonky and I , wanting to upgrade to an LX , offered to sell my Alivio if i could find a decently priced LX.

know what? When we went back to get the bikes today, I stopped by at a nearby cycle shop specialising in Santa Cruz bikes and asked about second hand LX-es.

I FREAKING GOT ONE!!!! For only SGD 45!!!!

The original price for a new one is 70 and mine was from a Santa Cruz bike whose owner upgraded to the top end XTR Shimano parts when he made the purchase. I haggled and brought the price down from SGD55.

Hehe, its soooo damn smooth compared to the old Alivio!

Cheers from a very satisfied,

Matrix

Ramblings

2009-02-26T19:10:00.001-08:00

I was musing about what i had and then i realised just how much i miss it.

I had a lot of people around me when i was a kid. Loads of cousins , aunts, uncles and a few surviving grandparents whom i hardly talked to cause i could now hold a sustained conversation with them. Probably my fault for not taking enough effort.

No matter.

I guess i turned out ok after all cause there being so many peopl around, i got caned practically everytime i crossed the line.

I still remember the first time i learnt the famous F*** word and shouted it at my brother when i was 10. My butt ached the entire day from my father's whackings. He sure had a hard hand.

I could not even get off easy when i threw my vegetables in the bin in secret cause i used to hate spinach. The family maid would spot it and duly report to my aunts, who would then catch me and make me eat another plate of it and then make me sit in a corner.

I do miss other aspects of my childhood.

My uncles, dad, cousins and brother used to pack the family MPV on weekends and head for the nearby field to play football for an hour or so. We would place 2 traffic cones my uncle got from somewhere (my guess is he nicked them or something from the roadside....there were so many discarded around my housing estate) at opposing ends of a marked area on the field and we'd split into teams of 5 or 6 depending on whom could come , and we'd just play.

That stopped when uncles and dad hit their late 40s and we got into our mid teens and became too strong in our tackles for them to handle it.

Uncle developed neck aches and dad had his back aches.

We used to sometimes play cricket too in the house compound. Night cricket, cause we could turn on the floodlights in the compound and used the same traffic cones as wickets.

Its quite rare for Malaysians to be playing cricket, but my entire family with the exception of brother and me , had spent a few years of education in India, and that's where the influence came from. I sucked at batting which bro was pretty good at, but i could bowl pretty fast balls , which incidentally did not work against my brother and an uncle, cause they were big and hid the cones with their bodies...darn.

I have a few regrets though. I wish i had not studied too much in secondary school , been too competitive , instead could have laid back a bit and done other things. For instance i could have dabbled in a bit of basic circuit design and model building, which i want to do now, but can't find the time :(

I wished i had taken up an offer to join the school's football team which i rejected cause i wanted to maintain my ranking in the school, which counts for nothing actually later in life. What a waste of time.

No matter.

I have come to accept that you will have some form of regret for whatever you have done in the past when you look back from the present. I dare you to NOT find any.

And so, i have to go against my natural instinct to not be cliched , and come to accept that that oh so cliched talk of "Do not look back at the past, but enjoy the present" is in fact so very true.

*shifty eyes*

This sounds a bit emo........

Righto!

Thing is , even though i'm not very much good at it, i like trying to theorise life's question into a set , objective guideline of sorts. (ooh, that sounded very messiah-ish).

But then a friend told me its not possible. And i pondered more and then i realised that its futile and a stupid thing to do. Its not going to achieve anything. Its time wasted. And its downright boring conversation material , unless you're talking to a person with an emo problem.

*read post again to find out what's been written*

Darn, this is one confusing post. No matter, i shalt name it "Ramblings" , publish it now, and probably look at it later in the year and wonder what sort of boredom i had to be in to write this.

LOL.

Anyway, i suddenly feel the mood to look at circuits again. And so i bid you the reader au revoir!

Cheers from the,

Matrix

I must say, that was awfully fun....

2009-02-21T05:58:00.000-08:00

I went to a hotel room with 2 complete strangers i had only met 2 hours before......

I must say, had it not been singapore this would not have happened.

Before i elaborate further, please feast your eyes on the view from a 1000 sing dollar per night room at the Ritz Carlton.

Yeah, that's a floating football pitch, yet to see its first match though, lol.

I woke up at around 8.30am despite being up till 2 am , probably cos the past CA week's hellish aura forced me to be up studying at 5.30am.

CA's are basically quizzes which contribute anywhere from 15% till as high as 40% towards your final grade. I had a grand total of 5 CAs last week , one which i screwed up cause i had taken some lung infection medication and half slept during it.

No matter, i nailed the electronics and thermodynamics quizzes :P

So, i woke up at 8.30am. And then i got bored cause i had no mood to study and did not want to meet or go out with anyone, not that i can find anyone to go out with on such short notice. No matter.

So i decided on the spot to cycle a 60km route from NTU to the Central Business District. And so i did....

Partly also cause i wanted to try out the new chain i had put on my bike after the last one snapped as i tried to max the bike. Twas good by the way.

Now i'm not sure whether this is true in general, but whenever i go on these long rides out to the city , any cyclist i see out for a morning ride normally tags along and we ride as a group, despite being complete strangers. The largest and scariest of these rides being one i took with a group of road bikers on their carbon fibre 60km/h capable bikes along one of singapore's so called most haunted roads at night. Cause they're so fast, ur cycling alone most of the time alongside tombstones and funny noises.

Where was I?

ah....right..

And so i found myself on the tail of a chap on a Raleigh hardtail MTB near NUS today and quite naturally we chatted about our bikes, where we have been on it, and then the conversation steered to the topic of where we were headed. The CBD it was and i tagged along to know the route.

Chap was entering the OCBC cycling thingy and he happened to be a service staff head at the Ritz Carlton where he was going to park his bike before the ride the next day. And so we rode and then met his pal, rode some more and ended up inviting me to take a grand tour of the swanky places of the Ritz.

Now i have never been in a 1000 dollar per night hotel room and yeah, his pal and I went wowing at the oak panelling at the jacuzzi in the toilet and the gold lined bathroom fittings. Was tempted to nick the thick cotton bath robes, but apparently they are tagged with RFID chips which embarassingly set off a silent alarm if taken out of the hotel. Talk about the less glamour side of the hotel business....

Anyway, i had fun. Rode through park connectors, saw the more scenic side of singapore, and i now have a new riding buddy.

Cause Ishak lives near Sheng Siong , only a 5 min bike ride from my hall.

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Terminator Salvation - Official Trailer

2009-02-18T07:59:00.001-08:00

ITS FINALLY OUT!!!!!!!

Valentine Idea

2009-02-13T08:09:00.000-08:00

Yes, i introduce the very cliched red rose on valentine idea......with a twist for all the romantic wannabes out there wanting to show some love.

Get a cheap pinewood box (i think IKEA should have them) , stain it brown and lacquer it. Line the base with some insulation (cotton or newspaper would do) , pack in dry ice , line the top of the dry ice with more insulation.

Finally, take your cliched red rose and place it on top of the insulation and close the box to let the steam build up.

When you go to meet your love , hand her the smoking wooden box and ask her to open it. IF she trusts you (a smoking box is suspicious) , she will open it and a dry ice steam will pour out in a really cool effect, slowly unveiling the rose hidden by the thick steam.

I think its pretty cool. You can do upgrades to this idea if you have time:

1) Sub the wooden box with a carbon fibre or brushed stainless steel one

2) Sub the insulation with a glass phial

3) fill glass phial with liquid nitrogen

4) design a mechanism which breaks the very brittle glass phial (the nitrogen should have made it even more brittle) when the box is opened.

5) place rose on top of phial

So when she opens it, the glass phial breaks, liquid nitrogen flows out and freezes rose. She takes out rose and it melts in her hand to become fresh again.

Then you go, "I had a cold cold heart, until you came along and melted it"....or whatever cliched line you can come up with.

IF YOU ARE REALLY LAZY.....

just get a rose , find a prof with a 50 litre tank filled with liquid nitrogen (i know one) , stick the rose in it, and run with it to her.

*yawns* , righto, valentine's day uncliche-ing is hardly turning the cogs in my brain. Think i'll go and play with my Rubik's cube.

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Oh when the Brits come marching in.......

2009-02-06T18:52:00.000-08:00

I was never a fan of british cars , the sole exception being this little chap:

1977 Mini Cooper S

Brit cars were in my opinion only for those who were mad enough to want one so badly, they didn't mind burning their children to keep it running.

Old Jags are a pain to live with. They fizz and they buzz , they do move a bit yes, but then they spend most of their time just sitting there , being a rather large and expensive lawn ornament (assuming you do have a lawn after being foreclosed after one too many hefty bills).

The brits used to make cars.....that make u go to sleep. Now i have never driven a car , but when fans of brit cars go , "Its an absolute beaut to look at! The work of an artist!"....you do know the car is slow at least to let people take a good look at it in the first place to begin with.

British cars were in essence for the appreciative. People who could appreciate the craftsmanship , for yes, they are very very beautiful cars:

Rolls Royce Phantom V and the Flying Spur

But they weren't what you'd call space age. I'd pick any one of these for a luxury car any day:

Mercedes Benz 600 Pullman

Forgive me, i do like a lot of toys in cars. The reason i have always been a German and japanese car fan.......until quite recently.

You see, the brits kind of went through a de-maturing and de-conservative phase and quite suddenly, they started making very cool cars indeed:

The new technologically advanced Rolls Royce Phantom

The company is owned by the Germans, and yes, it is in fact a german engine under than bonnet, but as far as i'm concerned, the design is as British as......well.......Buckingham Palace....albeit a Buckingham Palace with a james bond villainsque interior, complete with death rays and thing that go boom and slice you in half when you sneeze.

Jag's new XF

.......its even got the ladies drooling over it

Bentley's Continental GT

...and my personal favourite.....

Aston Martin's DBS

When footballers and rappers leave italian exotics and start buying up bucketloads of Rolls Royces and Bentleys.......

When you no longer hire a chaueffeur to drive your Rolls for you......

When James Bond thinks your cars are cool again to leave those chaps in Germany..........

YOU KNOW YOU'RE ON A ROLL.......

The brits are truly back......

Cheers from the

Matrix

Want a thrilling bike ride?

2009-01-31T06:08:00.000-08:00

I just realised I have cycled through one of the so called "super-haunted" roads in Singapore....alone at dusk...

Old Choa Chu Kang Road

Its an old section of neglected road off Jalan Bahar near NTU and i kinda like cycling along Jalan Bahar in the evenings.....

I chanced upon this road on the way back to campus around 7-8pm and so i tried going along it for like 200 or so meters. And then i got freaked out when with the total abscence of sound and the general spookiness surrounding this:

And so i turned the Jamis, powered on the LED headlamps and hightailed it out of there. I have never cycled so fast before, on max gear , and pumping the cranks , wishing i had done the sane thing and just got a driver's license anf brought a car instead.

*goes red*

Fear is irrational, but when i grips you at the wrong moments, you'd do anything to feel relief....

And so, if you think life is boring and you want a cheap thrill, go buy a bike and cycle along this road alone at night or dusk.

Cheers from the,

Matrix

Magically disappearing cash...

2009-01-31T00:26:00.000-08:00

Cycling is turning out to be quite an expensive hobby, already chalked up like 100 bucks worth of repairs and accessories AFTER buying the Jamis. Without adding in the gloves mom bought me when she came down with dad and sis last weekend for a short hop over to Indonesia....

makes any nerd look bad ass.....

Truth be told, they are not cycling gloves (i recommend stuff from FOX for bikers) , these are gym gloves for weight lifting and training, but i figured, if it can protect your hands from metal grips of 100 kg dumb bells, a bike handle should be fine no?

I like the black leather upholstery on the palm area and the padding. Plus, the RBK logo look pretty cool on the forefinger. Now Reebok should start paying me royalties everytime i do an advert for em by waggling my finger at random people....

Ferry to Batam Island , Indonesia

My parents came down from KL for the CNY hols and i booked a room for them on campus at the NEC , i won't bother giving the full name for the abbreviation as only campus mates would know what they mean anyway..... but i must admit, the room was pretty good. Plus the PIE highway was just at out doorstep so getting anywhere was no probs.

The one day Indonesian hop was a disappointment quite frankly. Shopping was not good. Limited choices and pricing was not low as we expected for a supposedly duty free place.

Bad timing for seafood as well. CNY period, so hardly anyone went fishing.

The only saving grace was the boat ride. Bumpy, fast, sea spray on your face , the novelty of watching people going green with sea sickness....... ho ho.

Going out for supper seems to not be a prob these days since roomie brought over his Wheeler to campus. Its got better components than mine and despite being like 5 years old, is lighter too.

Shimano Deore rear derailleur , Alivio shifters , Shimano crankset.

Despite hardly maintaining it.....err.....i mean zero maintainance.......its got no rust on it. Deore parts are definitely made of some hardened anti corrosion alloy. Probably with a bit of chromium thrown in...about 11 wt% or something (yikes, materials science knowledge creeping in there somehow...... =S )

5 years of hardship equals this :

We were cycling back from a 24/7 McD at Pioneer after filling up on prosperity burgers and curly fries and milo , when he downshifted on the slope near NEC, and one of the spokes on the rear crankset broke.

Mmmm, brittle failure, too much chromium or work hardening?

Neways, upgrade plans for my Jamis the coming semester:

1) new pedals from Shimano to replace the lousy plastic ones.

2) a waterproof backpack, my canvas bag keeps getting sweat soaked....

3) crankset upgrade to Shimano Deore LX

4) Avid mechanical disc brakes (will only buy them when my Shimano V brakes get totalled)

Deore LX, 50g heavier than the top of the line XTR

XTRs are SGD200 more, 50g lighter is not worth that in my opinion.

Cheers from the,

Matrix

the twilight zone

PureBikes Greed SL - Review

Singapore 2010 Logo Launch Mechanism - Behind backstage!

Finally, a direction!

Appeal to fellow foodies!

People, Work and the Quality of Life

Playtime's Over, lets get serious

Its been a while.....

RIP Ben Mok

balancing 15 books on my head, reciting pi to the 100th digit, and solving a rubik's cube.

Scrooge Mc-Yuva's take on the Shimano 105

Scrooge Mc-Yuva

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass - Rube Goldberg Machine version - Official

Gorillaz - Stylo (Full Version HD Music Video Clip) - Works in All Countries

Keane - Somewhere Only We Know (US Edition)

Its going to be an interesting day...

Controversy

In this onslaught of Feminish, Real Men are quickly becoming a dying specie

The Engine matters the most

Being selfish

Its a question of Ethics isn't it?

Blog Revival....

Save Gas, Go Green, Get Fit.

New Year!

The Future of Energy is Nuclear.......get used to it....

Chatroom...

Its THAT time of the year again....

Are Singaporeans patrotic beyond following the law?

Exams and more ......

If Everyone Cared by Nickelback with Lyrics

Dating is Confusing **HD**

Meet trekkie =)

Ambition

Punishing Thursday

Right, we all know Malaysia's Judicial System is corrupted, so what about Singapore's?

must......have.....it.......

Women are tiresome....

When i look back, i wonder if guardian angels really are true....

Something new.....

Musings and Thoughts in the dark

Metallica - Turn The Page

A ghostly whoosh and silent clicking of gears filled this night

[MTB]freeride downhill

Jeremy Clarkson's Thriller: Aston Martin DBS

Racism in the Elevator **Official Video**

Linkin Park - "New Divide"

Igor(s) behind the YOG chain reaction mechanism

Its back......

Red Bull Metro Ride, Budapest

Perhaps i should have done this to avoid the smackings i got.....

A letter to Dad...

Do not freaking mess with me

"Sell Out!" English Subtitled Official Trailer by Yeo Joon Han

RATM -Killing in the name - official video

The Shan + Rozz Show: EP7 - The Singaporean White Boy

ROTFLOL!!!

Bragging Rights and a new direction!

Perhaps

3Focus Trailer

Its officially the end of the road :(

Of flooded jungles, muddy bikes and broken limbs

Holidays!

Pragmatism? Does Singapore need less of it?

Enter the Goatee.....

{HQ} Wonder Girls - Nobody [MV]

American Boy Parody-"First Asian Boy"

Project P.U.M.A. (HD)

Back to form?

enter the Terminator

Cause i have time to burn......

Need to save.....

Roomie Moments

Walking With A Ghost by Tegan and Sara

Extreme Mexican Mountain Biking

MASH SF AUSTIN WITH LANCE ARMSTRONG

Next Project :P

*SWT*

There is Progress!

The Noose: National University Orientation Game

I think i got a pretty good bargain in the end......

Dating is Confusing HD

Racism in the Elevator Official Video

SWT