Home»

Odd Travel Habits

Dec 30th, 2011 Leave a comment

It’s been a while, I know.

I got back from the US a few weeks ago and on the plane ride back, I recalled that I had stuck to two of my odd travel habits. The first is to visit a typical supermarket (not a convenience store), and the second is to eat at a local McDonald’s.

I do this, because I like to see how ‘grocery shopping’ is done by the locals, and to see if there are any items worthy of stocking up. As for McDonald’s, I like to see how this (and other) multinational corporations change their offerings to suit the local market.

So in the States, I noticed that lots of groceries were cheaper than equivalents at home. Also when I was a bit younger, I used to enjoy Pop Tarts. Kellogg’s stopped selling them in Australia around 2005, and are now expensive sweets in import lolly shops. When I saw them on the supermarket shelves, I was all nostalgic, and then bought several boxes. As a bonus, they were quite cheap!

McDonald’s in the US aren’t too different from those in Australia, apart from some menu items. What is interesting is that meals in Australia have a greater focus on the sizes of drinks and fries. The McCafé concept isn’t as developed in the US as it is in Australia; the differences in café culture are evident (Although note McCafé started in Australia in the early 90s).

Sometimes the comparisons seem very odd to Australians, but nonetheless interesting to observe. For example, McDonald’s in Indonesia operate a home delivery service. McDonald’s in some Asian countries serve rice.

Is there something that you must do every time you are overseas?

Timelines

Sep 26th, 2011 Leave a comment

Perhaps the biggest piece of news to come out of f8, Facebook’s annual developer conference is the introduction of Timeline, a new design of the profile page. If you haven’t seen what it looks like, here is mine:

Facebook Timeline

Timeline is a new way of showing and sharing information to friends. The cover allows you to show a large picture that ‘represents you best’ in addition to your profile picture, and there are many new items that form the timeline, including new categories of post, and expanded outputs from applications via Open Graph. It expands the capabilities of what apps can do.

One thing that happens now as a result of Timeline, is that it is now easier to revisit older content of one’s Facebook profile. Facebook already begun to do this with the ‘On this day in 2010′ boxes in the sidebar. It has generated some interesting comments from my friends! There is a caveat to this though.

I’m sure many of you have heard of stories where employers check social media profiles of their staff regularly, exposing questionable actions to their colleagues. There are also stories of HR checking over potential employees, and that one post could mean not getting a job! While it could be said that this a danger of Timeline, it does make it easier to edit past content.

For past posts, Timeline only shows the most important posts. Obviously these are determined by an algorithm, possibly taking into account the number of responses to a post. But employers could learn quickly to find posts hidden from view, that could undermine a candidate’s standing.

I’m guessing that we could see soon the mass editing of past posts; akin to rewriting the past. You know what? It is just like the Ministry of Truth rewriting all the newspapers! (In case it wasn’t obvious, I am a huge fan of Nineteen Eighty-Four.) Timeline allows to backdate posts, allowing you to make you look like you did not have that drunken night out. I could remove all those embarrassing and meaningless status updates! The opportunities are limitless here. In fact, Timeline allows you to add posts right up to your birth date. Have the childhood you never had, at least online.

I wonder what you all think about Timeline and its potential. Would you rewrite your past? Or are you tired of Facebook constantly changing? For every person who likes Timeline, there will always be someone who loathes it.

Driving Stories

Sep 2nd, 2011 Leave a comment

Last Wednesday was the first time I drove at 100 km/h legally (the speed limit for green P’s). Now I’ll admit that it’s not terribly exciting, but it did remind me of the first time I drove alone after I got my P’s.

It was in the afternoon, and I was on the train home from university. I needed to get some keys cut at the shopping village in the next suburb, and was deciding whether to get off the train early, or drive a short distance. In my head I squealed in excitement that I would be finally ‘free’ from the constraints of public transport.

When I got in Mum’s car, I was still shaking a little, so a few minutes went by whilst I calmed down. I turned the key, reversed out of the parking spot and set off.

Obviously the drive felt different because there was nobody sitting next to you watching out for things you were doing wrong. At least there wasn’t a testing officer making fail marks on the sore sheet. But I felt compelled to do everything right: indicate before turning, safe distance from others and checking mirrors.

Admittedly, some of those skills have deteriorated since!

I got the keys cut and drove home rather satisfied, knowing that I saved travel time by deciding to conquer the first-time anxiety.

Do you still remember the first time you drove alone?

Sydney Town

Jul 13th, 2011 Leave a comment

I get really excited when a film or TV show is set in Sydney. For me, it becomes a game of identifying the locations, and then going there. Why do I want to visit the places concerned? Because it is kind of cool to understand how they add to the plot. A location is not just a dot on a map; the culture and characteristics define it too.

One great example is the first film of the Matrix series. Martin Place was used because it could portray the idea of a ‘perfect’ city (Trust me, it was more like that back in 1999!). In case you have not seen the film, the Matrix is a simulated reality of a perfect city used to fool humans while machines harvest their body heat for energy. As a Sydneysider, walking the length of Martin Place sometimes makes me feel like I am living in the best city in the world.

Let me cite another example. The recent ABC TV series Rake, centres on barrister Cleaver Greene who lives in Kings Cross, and has a ‘seedy’ lifestyle. Greene’s flat above a café does exist (in a quiet side street near the Cross), and one scene is shot at the El Alamein fountain (which I did not know existed; shows you how much I go there!). I am yet to find where Greene’s ‘lawyers bar’ is though (I think it is somewhere along Elizabeth St).

Sometimes the wrong connotation can be given to a location. Take Julia Leigh’s film Sleeping Beauty (Go see it, a great film). Lucy, a university student takes a high-paying job being a fantasy for old men. Leigh probably wanted to use a ‘generic’ university location, but several scenes are shot at the University of Sydney. For those that are interested, they take place in and around the Carslaw building, and the lawns outside the New Law building. I could immediately identify the location (I go to USyd), but to a casual moviegoer, it would be aesthetically pleasing architecture at a university.

What is interesting is that recently the SMH wrote about a large brothel (Stiletto), about to open opposite the university’s campus. A coincidence, or art imitating life?

Sydney Universities Dates: Semester 2 2011

Jul 11th, 2011 Leave a comment

As usual, dates for Sydney universities. Enjoy!

DATES S2 2011

Notes: As reported by the university, therefore weekends may or may not be counted. If you have additional information, please email me.

S2 Start Mid-Semester Break Study Vacation Examinations Summer Break S1 ’12 start
MQ 1 Aug 16 Sep to 3 Oct 14 Nov to 2 Dec 3 Dec to 26 Feb 27 Feb
UNSW 18 Jul 3 Sep to 11 Sep 22 Oct to 27 Oct 28 Oct to 15 Nov 16 Nov to 26 Feb 27 Feb
USYD 25 Jul 26 Sep to 3 Oct 31 Oct to 4 Nov 7 Nov to 19 Nov 20 Nov to 4 Mar 5 Mar
UTS 1 Aug 26 Sep to 3 Oct 12 Nov to 2 Dec 3 Dec to 26 Feb 27 Feb
UWS 1 Aug 26 Sep to 3 Oct 7 Nov to 11 Nov 14 Nov to 26 Nov 27 Nov to 26 Feb 27 Feb
ANU 25 Jul 12 Sep to 23 Sep 5 Nov to 9 Nov 10 Nov to 26 Nov 27 Nov to 19 Feb 20 Feb

Sources:
MQ: http://www.mq.edu.au/calendar.html
UNSW: https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/resources/AcademicCalendar.html
USYD: http://www.usyd.edu.au/future_students/domestic_undergraduate/admissions/semester_dates/index.shtml
UTS: http://www.handbook.uts.edu.au/dates_academic.html
UWS: http://www.uws.edu.au/currentstudents/current_students/managing_your_study/dates/2011_academic_year_dateline
ANU: http://info.anu.edu.au/ovc/Committees/110PP_Principal_Dates

Technology Roadmap updated June 2011

Jul 2nd, 2011 Leave a comment

Back in February 2010, I wrote about when I would replace various pieces of technology that I use. Tonight as I was doing some research on home servers, I thought I would revisit my original predictions, and see what has changed.

As for the home server, I found a solution and am very excited about its potential!

So here we go.

Laptop

Current: MacBook Pro 15″ (early 2008) purchased February 2008
Change every: 3 years
Original next purchase estimate: MacBook Pro 13″ after February 2011
New next purchase: MacBook Pro 15″ at next major update (~February 2012)

Since last year, I have replaced the internal left-side fan. Also, the performance has not worsened significantly. I have decided to stay with a 15″ model because this is my only computer, and that carrying the laptop to university almost everyday does not bother me at all. I also have a 24″ screen that can be used if I need more screen space. Although I aimed to replace it this year, I decided to delay replacement for tax reasons.

Mobile Phone

Current: iPhone 3GS purchased June 2009
Change every: 2 years
Next purchase: Next iPhone after June 2011

The plans for my phone have not changed. Although I am out of contract, I will wait until the release of the next iPhone.

Camera

Current: Nikon D80 purchased March 2008
Change every: 3-5 years, or until image quality deteriorates/equipment fails
Next purchase: Next Nikon dSLR

Nothing has changed here either!

Portable Music Player

Current: iPod (5G) purchased December 2005
Change every: When it breaks
Next purchase: iPod classic

The backlight of the screen began to fail, and I replaced the screen. Repairing is better than throwing stuff out!. It now looks as if it were new! This iPod is now plugged into the car, so at least it has some use. Still has not broken yet. There are rumours that the iPod classic may not be made anymore, so I will have to keep an eye on that.

Portable Hard Drives and their Functions

Current: 2 portable hard drives (80GB and 320GB), one desktop hard drive (500GB)
Change every: When they get full or break
Next purchase: Depends on the current need

Over the last few years, I have bought bigger hard drives as my need for storage grew. The portable hard drives are used for photos and other storage (disk images, archives) and the desktop hard drive is used for Mac backup via Time Machine.

Now I want to consolidate all these drives into one unit, as well as provide file and media sharing services over the home network. Put simply, a box that stores lots of things and can do certain functions. I had originally wanted to build a Linux-based PC with lots of storage, but that proved to be cumbersome.

I looked at network attached storage (NAS) devices, especially this QNAP one (TS-419P+), and knew this was a good enough solution. The spare hard drives can then be sold for dirt cheap!

The network router will need to be upgraded soon, as it is struggling to cope with all the wireless devices (at least 8). Faster network traffic would be a plus. I welcome any suggestions as to what router I should get.

 

So, that’s made me excited for what is to come. Anyone want to buy the 80GB hard drive for $10?

Review: Terminus

Jun 30th, 2011 Leave a comment

A word of warning before you go see this: If you can’t focus for more than an hour, don’t go. Also, note there is no interval to gather your thoughts.

Terminus by Mark O’Rowe follows the stories of three strangers going about their lives. From the dead of night to the deadly violent, the stories take wild turns until they somehow relate, similar to the 2006 film Babel (starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett). From the stage, we can only rely on the limited body movements and the rich, rhyming dialogue. The rhyme keeps the stories going, renewing the audience’s (and certainly my) attention. There’s not much else to see, except for the occasional flashing light. But from what we get from the stage, the imagination is left to paint the picture of what is going on.

For me, it took a while to ‘settle in’ into the play. The stories become more intense as the play progresses, and more gruesome as well. As for the supernatural element (B gets caught by a demon), it was fun imagining what it was like. (Actually, kind of hard when it is described frequently as a ‘can of worms’!) The thing to take away from this play is that ‘click’ moment, when you realise three stories combine into one, and how much of a train wreck one of the characters is. All in all, I liked it, although I could have been more awake throughout.

This is a play for the mind, not the eyes. You have been warned.

Terminus plays until Saturday, 9 July at the Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House.

What to do?

Jun 19th, 2011 Leave a comment

Two Saturdays ago, a friend and I went out to see the lights as part of Vivid Sydney (they were really good, by the way). As we were walking back to the car park, we witnessed an altercation between a taxi driver and the passenger. The passenger didn’t want to pay the fare, the driver wanted the fare. A fight ensued, and a minute later the passenger ran off the driver’s cap.

My friend asked me whether we should help the driver. I said no. The reason being that I (we) didn’t want get hurt as a result. In the end I said to him, “Even though you want to help, it’s safer not to. Sad, I know, but that’s reality.”

I know I did the right thing, but would you have done the same?

Earlier that night walking along George St, I saw at least two cases of passengers running of without paying. In the more fortunate case, two girls ran out of the taxi to the cover (it was raining that night). The driver followed them and recovered the fare after some shouting.

These incidents, I believe, highlight the need for prepaid fares in the evenings on weekends. I think it’s reasonable and not difficult to hand over $10 before the trip starts. I also think it is right to pay for the services that you have used. For the drivers, it is their livelihoods. They are the same as anyone with a job, and deserve to be paid for the job they do. It is a shame to the society that young people are not taught/told of these basic life principles.

Whether drivers get paid enough is another issue; the important thing is that they get paid in the first place.

Covers and Samples

Jun 10th, 2011 Leave a comment

When it comes to current popular music, I usually prefer to listen to the longest, most original version of a song. Sometimes these songs are sampled or covered by others; I tend to steer clear from those (except in certain tasteful circumstances).

One example about duration. I have the Sister Sledge’s 8-minute long hit single ‘We Are Family‘ on my iPod. It’s far better than the 3-minute version that is often played on the radio. If you search through the iTunes Store for this song, you will find plenty of covers. Yuck.

It can be said that the radio has toned down the appreciation and creativity of popular music. Short versions, ads in between plays and countless and tasteless cover versions and samples. This is an extreme generalisation, I know.

But given all that, I must confess that I have a weakness.

Last week, I bought the album ‘The Very Best of Supertramp‘. When I listened to ‘The Logical Song’, my mind almost instantly thought of the version done by the German happy hardcore group Scooter. See the YouTube links for comparison.

Despite trying to block out the Scooter version from my mind in favour of the original, I couldn’t. Maybe it’s because I currently enjoy some forms of dance music. Who knows? Mind you, I still thoroughly enjoy the original. Often, they are the best version out of the lot. The only reaction for me is to simply laugh it off. *cue laughter*

This is a behaviour that will linger in my mind for sometime, perhaps until I get tired of hearing Scooter’s version.

In the meantime, back to exam study. Here’s another pair of songs to fill in the time.

Another interesting recurring conversation…

Jun 8th, 2011 Leave a comment

Here’s another recurring conversation topic that I have with other people. See what you make of it.

Me: So, I never went to my Year 12 formal.
Other: Really? Why?
M: Oh you know, political reasons.
O: Political reasons?
M: Yeah, tensions between me and the organising committee. They didn’t want me organising it.
O: I see.
M: But on the other hand, I did spend an hour outside Luna Park taking photos for everybody.
O: That’s very nice of you.

12345 » Last