Hiatus!

Wow, I had 1 post for September and 1 post for October.

Basically they were not even posts to be proud of, one was about a drink all you can place and the other was about my old and trusty Motorola Headset.

 These past two months were really busy ones for me!

I will try to be a bit more active in these next few months, even if the holidays will surely make me even busier, I’ll try to get my bearings back and write more

Drink all you can @ SG

We all know that alcohol/beer is very expensive in Singapore.

Some bars are offering +1 drink during happy hours but there are some establishments who surprisingly offers drink all you can!

One of these establishments is Insomnia at Chijmes.

Chijmes is just across Raffles City.

Insomnia offers drink all you can every Wednesday, 9-11pm for Males and 9-12 for Females.

They also have a live band performing during this time.

Insomnia is crowded during these hours but since its drink all you can I think the crowd is reasonable!

2009 Singapore Formula 1 Tickets

Finally! I have received my tickets for this year’s Formula 1 Race here in Singapore.

I have to say that they look better than last year’s tickets!

Telephone Number Pad!

One lazy day at the office, while browsing the internet, I saw this one question that made me think…

The question was… How many mobile phones have you owned?

And the fastest answer I can come up with is… a lot!

Now, mobile phones have gone a long way. We can now send SMS, E-mail, Pictures and some other stuff. As these mobile phones evolve, their designs change and so does the number pad!

When I first saw the Nokia 3650, I was saw so amazed with its capability to capture videos with its built in camera. Yes, during those days this was ground breaking! But then, upon seeing the phone, you ask yourself… How do I learn to use that keypad?

A phone’s number pad really didn’t bother me that much since I always had a touch screen device but now that I’m back to using a phone with an actual telephone pad, I just noticed that both my phone’s positioned the *, 0 and # differently.

Here’s a photo of my Nokia E63

And here’s my myPhone B22

I have seen my boss’ Blackberry and the *, 0 and # were also positioned differently!

Can’t telephone manufacturers standardize their phone’s number pads for the sake of us consumers?

Back from a Vacation!

July, a very quiet month for me as I was on vacation for 2 weeks!

I was in Manila on a rainy July but I have no complains.

Basically, it was just a trip to spend time with my family, relax and upgrade my wardrobe.

Speaking of upgrades, I finally found the perfect shoe for my daily commute from home to office. I was originally using Black Leather Boston from Birkenstock which was great but I always have problems during my daily commute as I sometimes need to run and chase the bus.

I was able to get boots from Sanuk which are actually Sandals.

As for my earlier post of wanting to own a Puma Lift I finally bought my first ever shoes from Puma I was not able to get the Lift as the El Rey Perf took my attention.

I also got the usual shirts from Bench and jeans from Giordano. I have no idea why jeans from Bench cannot fit me as well as  those from Giordano plus the latter’s FREE ALTERATION really helps. How I wish Giordano would release longer jeans for ladies as my wife really loves their fit but sometimes their jeans are just an inch or two too short!

It was a bit surprising for me knowing that Bench’s prices are a higher than from what I can remember.

 

 

 

*photos were all taken using my Nokia E63

Netbooks! To buy now… or not to buy… yet!

Netbooks! These small laptop computers have gone a long way, sometimes I can’t imagine that the model that started it all had a 7 inch screen and a 2-4gig Solid State Drive… the EEE PC.

Yes we are still seeing new laptops trying to use a solid state drive but we still opt for the traditional hard disk since it has more space, I honestly think we can forget about the 7 inch screen since its really too small!

Two years from the introduction of the EEE PC, we can see a wide range of Netbooks from various manufacturers; almost all models have the same Atom processor, 2.5 inch hard disk and a 10 inch screen.

Now as for the real reason why I’m writing this article, to buy now or to wait?

Netbooks as we know uses a low powered processor. I think we can almost compare it with the older Pentium 4 processor which was great during its time but slow compared to today’s requirements.

Because of this processor, Netbooks used either Linux or Windows XP. Linux was ok however users started to install the more familiar Windows XP and to date, almost all brand new Netbooks are shipped with a Windows XP.

Windows XP was installed because Windows Vista performed badly on a Netbook, all HP 2133 users will agree with me.

Yes, you might say that Vista performed really bad with almost any computer and this is the reason why Microsoft has been working really hard for Windows 7.

Now this is where I will recommend that we all wait for Windows 7 before you purchase a Netbook.

I am sure that once Windows 7 come out, Microsoft will stop support for the Windows XP they almost pulled the plug on XP but they saw that they have to extend it a bit or else all Netbooks will run on Linux.

I just bought a Windows Vista Home Premium which I use on my Macbook’s VM Ware. It costs almost SGD 500.00. If Windows 7 (Netbooks edition) will have the same price, upgrading your Operating System will almost be as expensive as getting a new Netbook.

I would recommend that if you can hold your plan to purchase a Netbook, better hold it and wait for Windows 7. It will be a lot cheaper to buy a Netbook with a pre-installed Windows 7 than to buy one that runs on Windows XP then have it reformatted with a new Operating System later on.

If you really need a Netbook NOW, then by all means go to the nearest computer shop and make that purchase. But if it’s not that important, I really suggest you wait for Windows 7.

Photography!

It has been more than a year since I started this hobby, being a communications major, we had photography as a subject. It was really really fun! But photography in the mid-90’s was different since it was very expensive! You spend on Film, Developing and Printing! I can even remember having un-developed film at home.

Last year, I was just looking for a regular camera to use while I am here at Singapore. I really wanted to buy a high end Point and Shoot like the Canon S5is but the price was too near the Nikon D40 Kit making me purchase the latter.

I have always known how to use an SLR but to my surprise that a dSLR has so many buttons and so many settings that you can change. I have always played with the Aperture and Shutter Speed way back my Film days but ISO, Metering and Auto Focus was totally new! Yes, my Pentax P50 SLR did not have auto focus! But it had a built in light meter! And way back those days, my camera will set automatically to my Film’s ISO!

Having used the Nikon D40 for more than a year really brought me back to my college days where I really enjoyed a specific subject!

Now, this is something I do to keep myself busy during my free weekends. If there are any corporate activities, I also tag my camera along just to take quick snap shots.

I originally wanted to take Pictures of Singapore Landscape! But when I ran out of places to shoot, I have tried shooting portraits! These are two very different subjects and you will really notice the difference with the lens used. From a wide angle lens, Sigma 10-20mm, to my Nikkon 55-200mm!

Taking pictures of people is very different from taking pictures of place. The human face is much more complex!

I have upgraded my camera to the D90 and slowly purchasing accessories to have all that I need.

You can access my flickr account to view some of the pictures I have taken. Here’s a quick link to my landscapes, portraits, and everything else.

Photography is a fun hobby which I intend to keep!

Puma Lift!

When was the last time you really wanted a pair of sneakers?

 

Ok, I’ll do some thinking and enumerate the shoes I have really wanted (Yes, it is a want and not a need) in NO particular order.

 

1. Red Converse Chuck Taylors! I never had the red one! All I have is the black color.

2. Converse Chuck Taylors used by Will Smith in I, Robot – can’t find one!

3. Nike Penny Hardaway 2 – actually owned the black version

4. Nike Air Shake Ndestrukt (Dennis Rodman) – actually owned the black version

5. Air Jordan IX and XI – never had a chance to own one

6. Nike Free 4.0 – actually owned the blue version

7. Reebok Pump – just the thought of pumping a shoe to get the best fit was awesome! – never really had a chance to own one.

 

Now that I’m more mature, I am looking for something light for running and the gym. No more bulky basketball shoes.

 

So scrolling back to my list and reading about the mature part, I have to say that the Nike 4.0 was a glimpse of the future! Well, it’s not as old as the other shoes on the list but lately my attention is there.

 

Now, walking around the streets in Singapore, I saw this window (facing New Bridge Rd.) from Raffles City Shopping Center there was a poster of Usain Bolt wearing the Puma Lift!

 

It was not the poster, it was not Usain Bolt (yeah, maybe partly), nor the way the display window was presented. It was the fact that this shoe just weighs 173 grams… Now thinking about it, is it 173 grams per shoe or is the 173 grams a combined weight? But wait! Its shoes and should not be as hard as trying to be a brain surgeon!

 

No matter how heavy it is it still looks great, this maybe subjective. But I’m really planning to make this purchase as soon as possible!

 

I just wonder if this shoe is for casual wear or for running? I intend to use it in the gym since my Nike Free 7.0s has been working too hard. Hahaha!

 

Lift is actually written as L.I.F.T. which stands for Lite Injected Foam Technology.

 

For more information you can visit Puma’s dedicated website for his shoe.

 

http://www.puma-lift.com/

Filipino Food in Singapore!

I started this category in my blog to guide people who want to eat Filipino food in Singapore. With an estimated 150,000 Filipinos working in this 707.1 square km country there should be a lot of places where a Filipino can eat!

 

Now I have decided to add little improvements in this category.

 

Definitely not all restaurants are created equal but I will at least give you the location of every Filipino restaurant available here in Singapore!

 

If you think I missed out a specific restaurant, please send me an e-mail or a comment.

 

Please note that this is my personal opinion only and since I am not an expert in judging food (taste), how the food is served and the restaurant’s ambiance. I would recommend that you visit the place too.

 

At the end of every entry from this category, I will be trying to rank my experience on the said restaurant.

 

Food that is readily prepared is available: Yes/No

 

Day Visited for the first time: Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun

Time/Meal: Lunch/Dinner

 

Day Visited for the second time: Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun

Time/Meal: Lunch/Dinner

 

Good for Corporate Lunch/Dinners: Yes/No

Good to eat with Foreign Friends: Yes/No/Maybe for the adventurous

Recommended for people who will try Philippine Cuisine for the first time: Yes/No/Maybe for the adventurous

 

Final comments:

10,000 Hits!

First working day after Easter and I was surprised to see that my blog had 10,000 hits. It actually made me wonder if I have visited my blog 10,000 times.

Anyway, I know that having 10,000 hits is not that much but knowing that there are some of you who stumbled upon some entries in my blog it is my responsibility to make some improvements soon.

Improvements will be ranging from upgrade in pictures (especially for gadget reviews) and I will try to post at least one (1) entry per month. I totally can’t believe I did not post anything last March!

Again, to all of you who found this blog and took the time to read an entry. Thank you so much!