Bye bye 2008

As 2008 is coming to an end, it's fitting to spend a while reflecting on the achievements obtained and count the number of resolutions accomplished.

You know, this is going to be really easy for me since my 2008 is lacklustre at best.

Nothing worthy comes to my mind for achievement. The only thing I can think of is that tagged-along department award which by sheer dumb luck I just happened to be with the right group of colleagues who did all the super high-tech advance stuff. I contributed next to nothing, so that doesn't count.

If I really stretch it, I could say that my one achievement is that I still have my job. Slacker extraordinaire is still employed, maybe that count for something?

As for the resolutions set at the beginning of 2008, well... I didn't accomplished any of it.

• Half marathon: nope, didn't happen, stopped the training when I was sick and never did resume.
• Archery: thought and still thinking of picking it up again, but never did happen.
• Photography: same story as archery.

Not just that, I have a few ideas and things that I like to do, but just hasn't happened, like:

• the guide about basics of photography I wanted to write and post on my blog
• finish the Baldur's Gate series, I have had the game for ages!
• get a baby girl in the year of the Rat, so we can have "Snake" and "Rat" in the house! =P
• and so on...

Me is weak. >.<

Ah well. To make myself feel better, I did started a vibrant vocabulary category in this blog, those "Vocabulary Lesson with CK" entries to spread the language polution, hehehe.

Also started the gross grafitti category simply because a colleague said I have talent and I am gullible enough to be fooled.

It's safe to say that my 2008 is simply MEH!. To avoid the same thing happening in 2009, I am not going to set any resolution! =P

Well, maybe just a few things that I really like to do... I have promised to bug a colleague more and got thanked for that, so I have to keep the promise. Make baby. Maybe get a mobile phone (yea, the sky is falling!). Make baby. Help to get Nelson 'Kok Kok' Tan even more well-known. Make baby. Make more fun of myself. Make baby.

Did I mention I want to get a baby in 2009? Preferably girl. Already have His Royal Highness King Baby Hsiang, who was made in England. We want one made in Malaysia! Haven't succeeded thus far, I think we gotta try the Titanic style 'hand on steamed glass thingy'. =D

Happy new year everyone, may your 2009 be fantastic!

Make baby! =P

字汇 (December 08)

今天在光华日报看到一篇文章讲关于网络语言的，里头有两个很有趣的字。

原本是想无耻地一字不漏键入部落格与大家分享的，但是叻…

哇噻！根本无法原文抄袭叻，因为微软拼音字典里没有这两个字。

没法啦，只好更无耻的将原文拍了起来上载到此！呵呵！

源：光华日报

那个 jiong 字真的好像人脸这样，哈哈好可爱的字！

“呆呆”真是再适合来形容我不过了！ =P

好可惜无法键入这两个字，好好玩的字喔！

Seasonal Greetings

seasonal greetings from the frozen snail

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

Now gimme my presents! =P

One Third (Dec 08)

If you have been following this blog faithfully (*gasp* da horror!) and being observant, you would notice that this entry was posted earlier than usual for a working weekday's. Which means I have free time straight after work, which means...

Yea, I am being "one-thirded" again.

Again if you have been following this blog (seriously, are you insane?), you would know what that means.

Since most sane people only stumbled upon this blog by chance or being fooled into reading by my shameless and relentless spams, I shall be courteous and explain that being one-thirded simply means my wifey and His Royal Highness King Baby Hsiang are away.

You see, they are part of me, so when they are away, I am incomplete, missing two thirds of myself.

Clear like mud isn't it? =P

Being one-thirded is bad for health.

The feeling of emptiness and seperation, of something's missing, of strangely lonely even when among crowds... these are just a few of the emotional impacts.

As for physical, well, I am not getting my daily dose of exercise, like jogging (chasing after Hsiang), weight lifting (carrying Hsiang around), endurance training (carrying Hsiang on shoulder or piggy-back), et cetera.

SERIOUSLY bad for health!

You know, it's just... weird saying a prayer every night without kissing my baby and my wife goodnight.

Kindly excuse me if you found me looking hollow, blank, dazed, and/or lost these few days.

Ha-choo!

lots of work + lack of sleep = >.<

me is not well

And They Live Happily Ever After...

Attended Ling Li and Melvin's wedding a few* days ago. This happy occasion was held at g hotel. (g for gay glorious?)

* slacker time frame

the ballroom where the wedding dinner was held, so very g... grand!

There were 20+ tables so there must have been 200+ guests (woot! I can do maths!). Everything was posh and classy, befitting the lovely couples.

pretty groom and handsome bride, or was it the other way round?

Understandably the bride and groom were busy all night. So many guests to attend to, so many cameras to pose for, cake to cut, speech to give, champagne to pop and toast, and yum seng round all the tables.

So when the bride came round our table we quickly grabbed her for a quick photo.

we kidnapped the bride for a quick photo, the groom came in his shining armour on a white horse to rescue her soon after

We brought His Royal Highness King Baby Hsiang along to the dinner and so we had to leave before the dinner ended as His Royal Highness demanded rest.

Yes, his wish is my command.

we managed to get a photo with the couples before we left, hurrah!

Melvin had a quick word with me before we left, he set me a friendly challenge of having a baby next year, the first for them and the second for us.

Maybe our children can be friends! =)

I was told the next day that besides the few dishes, I also missed the group photo taking as well as a tour to the couples' honeymoon suite.

There is a jacuzzi with clear glass as walls in the suite and Ling Li said they were going to do some steamy stuff in it, Titanic style. You know, the hand on the steamed glass thingy.

*Phew*...

Ming Li: let's make baby...

Lelvin: Yea baby, yea!

I gotta get someone to look after His Royal Highness and get my wife to a honeymoon suite! =P

Photo Taking Chain

what do we do at work? We take photos...

A few* days ago, I took a photo of Polly taking a photo of Nelson taking a photo of his white board.

I wonder if someone was taking a photo of me taking a photo of...

* "a few days" in slacker time frame covers a huge range

Sparkle

Despite the mountain of works and all the last minute changes today (I like things well planned and sticking to schedule), I was told of a joyous news and it brightened up my day.

Thanks for sharing, my friend.

Stay happy, and know that you have our best and warmest wishes.

"Job Security"

I am a thermal engineer, that means I am very hot as well as super cool the person who checks if things are going to burn, melt, or go *kaboom*!

I have spent the last few months doing some modelling (the numerical simulation type, not the cat walk or posing type) to assess the thermal solution options we are exploring for a project.

There are a number of options and for each options, there are variables and uncertainties that I enveloped with some realistic limits based on my extensive engineering experience - copyright of Master Yes Man gut feeling.

The total number of cat walks modelling cases I have run is around 80, give or take.

Just as I was going to post-process the last few cases today, I was told there is a change in one of the critical component.

"Just take off an additional 0.5 mm all round."

That may seem like a small change but for the project I am working on, it reduces the heat transfer surface area to less than 60% coverage.

Trust me, it's significant.

And yea, I have to rerun all the cases, even if I cut corners er... "selective enveloping", I still have to do around 50 cases.

Job security? Yay?!?!

Arrrrrrrrgh!

Catching Up on Slack

Been really busy this week, late night everyday. Workload was a tad overwhelming, even posting this didn't help.

Initially just wanted to post a drawing to show I am catching up on my rest and sleep over the long weekend. Somehow ended up drawing a tag on the snail, I guess the mischievous side of me took over.

Oh well...

there is no rest for the wicked!

So I am making this a caption game instead! =)

Tell me, what do you think is written on the note tagged on the snail?

Slacker extraordinaire is going to slack the whole long weekend to maintain my slacker reputation, don't ka-ka-cau-cau!

天蝎座的工程师是这样的

我跟你讲，有这样一位天蝎座的工程师叻，真是 beh tahan 。

要他做一样东西，他总是烦死人的问东问西，问这问那，问细节，问相连的事，甚至问你的出生日子，问你的腰围等等。

而且不是只是问一次，他可以重复问好几次，甚至好几十次。好像问多几次答案就会不一样这样。要命，以为人家的生日会变的嘧？
更死的是，问完后有时还要实地观察，叫你给他看看这机件啦，那仪器啦，叫你解释他们怎么操作啦…真是很够力。

做工又慢到像蜗牛这样，催他也没用，他会慢条斯理的跟你说什么慢工出细货喔。
而且叻，说什么要深入了解，或是想知道那“假如…会怎么样？”，他会做比需要的多好几倍、几十倍。好像‘西北’有空这样。
但是不用紧，必要时，他是会烧油灯，开夜车来赶工的。
要记得的是，在他忙得大便都没空时你去吵他些无关痛痒的事他会很直接，还很大声的叫你滚蛋的！切记，切记。

要他做言简意赅的报告，他就‘座高高’长篇大论写西游记。好像人家喜欢读他的废话这样。
所以叻，我跟你讲，对这样有点完美主义,爱为细节钻牛角尖的天蝎座的工程师叻，最好的办法就是…
…不要给他任何工作！

以下呈上这可恶的天蝎座的工程师的照片。记得，不要给他任何工作！