The Altis is four years old now in my hands, but when I bought it, it was already 6 years old. That makes it 10 years old already!

Being a 10-year-old car, all sorts of problems are starting to creep in. As of last year, the car porch has already got patches of oils, indicating that it is leaking already. We were never got round to fixing it, simply because we were always cashless, or didn’t have the time for it. Now the time is right to finally send it to Toyota Puchong to get it done.

Why Toyota Puchong? Because that’s the nearest Toyota Service Centre that has the Early Bird service. We dropped the car on a Monday night and it was fixed by Friday evening. During the duration, Mei Fen has to drive me to the train station to and from work.

So how much did it cost? Close to a staggering RM3000! It’s painful yes, but it was worth it I guess. I can’t imagine sending it to an outside workshop. For RM3000, I get original Toyota parts, 1 year warranty, and workmanship from the people who knows a Toyota engine inside out. That alone is worth the extra I need to pay.

How does RM3000 look like? Well check it out yourself:

Here's how RM3000 look like

As you can see, some of the items are not directly related to the engine oil leakage, like exhaust ring, the coolant assembly and the transmission gear oil. But since the engine has already been taken out, it was wise to change the faulty parts. The biggest item is the tensioner and the water pump assembly, both costing more than RM500 each.

One can argue that you can do it cheaper outside. It might be true that you can do it for a lot lesser in other mechanics, but experience tells me that original is still best, even for a Proton.

I have always liked to use Garmin MobileXT on the Symbian on my previous Nokia 5800 XM. That Nokia was famous phone, right before iPhone was introduced and swept away the nation in a smartphone frenzy. It’s still a very good phone, although I only use it for the GPS feature, because iPhone don’t have a proper Garmin software designed for it.

Up until now, all the Garmin for iOS are incompetent. They need to turn on the data, and there is no option to update your own map (Malaysia has a one of the actively updated map, and they are free some more). But now Garmin has release the Map-On-Board version, so it’s definitely worth checking out. Finally I have found a compelling reason to justify the reason why I migrated to iOS!

Things that you will need:

1. the Garmin OnBoard app for iOS (it’s a blue icon with the word U.S.A. on it)
2. a jailbroken iPhone + iPhone cable
3. iFunbox
4. iFile
5. Malaysia’s map file (or any country of your choice)

I am not going to reveal where I downloaded the “Garmin OnBoard No Map” app, you will just need to Google it yourself. * ahem ahem *

The first thing you need of course is to install Garmin OnBoard into your jailbroken iDevice. I assume you know how to do it yourself, and thus have at least some basic knowledge of jailbreaking, lest you know what I am talking about here. I specifically mentioned “No Map” here because the Garmin OnBoard full map contains the full map of USA, which is a staggering 1.8 GB in size!

Next using iFunbox, copy your map (which has the extension .img) file to //var/mobile/Applications/[USA]/Library/sdcard/Garmin/. If you cannot located the application “USA”, sort the apps by date.

(Note that [USA] is denoted by some random numbers in some file viewer. More on that later.) You might also want to copy the .img file to //var/mobile/Applications/[USA]/Garmin-nav.app/storage-usa/.System

Copy your voice files (extension .vpm) to //var/mobile/Applications/[USA]/garmin-nav.app/storage-usa/Voice

Edit: Here is the link to some voice files online. http://www.gps-data-team.com/pda-gps-navigation/topic/2258.html

If you cannot locate “garmin-nav.app”, that’s because it is shown as “USA” in iFunbox. How intuitive is that? * duhhhh *

If you have custom POI’s, you can also copy them to //var/mobile/Applications/[USA]/garmin-nav.app/storage-usa/POI, though to be honest, I have never used custom POI’s before.

Skip this step if you actually paid USD50 for this app; You will need to bypass the authentication to the Garmin server, so go to /etc/ and locate the file “hosts”. Modify it to add these two lines:

127.0.0.1       www.garmin.com
127.0.0.1       gold.garmin.com

Next you will need to use iFile. The trick is trying to locate the application number and match it against the iFile, because as I mentioned earlier, even though iFunbox shows the name “USA”, it is actually shown as some random numbers in iFile. Just double-click the app in iFunbox and note the numbers shown at the title bar.

In iFile, locate all the files that you have just copied, and set these ownership and permissions:

Ownership:
Owner: mobile; Group: mobile

Access Permissions:
User: Read, Write, Execute
Group: Read, Execute
World: Read, Execute

If you cannot see certain folders in iFiles (such as .System), make sure that you “show hidden files” in the iFiles options. Also, if you not be able to hear sounds, set the same permissions to all the other voice files as well.

And that’s it! Go outside and enjoy!

This is going to be very similar to the screen layer method that I posted earlier. The objective is the same, to brighten up otherwise very dark and contrasty pictures. The earlier screen method does work, but it involves a lot of mouse pushing, brushing, painting and a lot of eye work. Not usable for mass collection of photos to be touched up. So is there a way to select only the dark areas and brighten them up instead, just like Lightroom’s very own impressive Fill Light.

Pictures shows us much more than words, so here’s how a picture would be like before it is fixed.

Dark building, bright sky, recipe for photography disaster

This picture can be saved using the earlier mentioned screen method, but do you notice the tree leaves bordering the sky? Do you want to paint the mask over meticulously? Not for a lazy fag like me! So is there a way to only selectively brighten up only the dark areas of the picture? Luckily there is, and fortunately it is also a very easy step.

First create a Levels layer onto your image:

Look at the adjustment dialog. You should see three triangles, black, grey and white. For now, just adjust the grey, push it to the left to taste:

Okay, the next step is the crucial step. This will create that mask that only encompasses the bright areas. With the Levels layer still selected, go to Image -> Apply Image. You will see this dialog box:

Check the “Invert” box. Click OK. Notice anything different? Check the thumbnails image. You will notice that Photoshop has created a layer mask based on your image’s brightness! How cool is that?

If you see not much difference, you can actually still adjust the mask, by selecting the levels layer, then Image -> Adjustment -> Contrast. This will only affect the layer mask, not the final image directly.

Based on the same logic, one can also image that the image can be darkened by selecting only the bright areas, and not checking the “Invert” box in the Apply Image dialog box. Also one can also apply the same selection method to adjust other parameters like contrast and saturations. Go on and give it a try!

I went to the 1Dx product launch yesterday in KL Convention Centre. The special thing about this launch is that the 1Dx was launched simultaneously with Japan and most of the rest of the world. The camera’s specs is amazing. I’m sure you can glean all the pictures and details online, so you don’t need me to repeat them here. But what I would like to highlight are two very important points:

1. The 1Dx trumphs the 1D Mark IV in terms of sensor size (APC-H vs full frame), speed (10 fps vs 12/14 fps), resolution (16 vs 18 MP) and maximum ISO (102400 vs 204800).
2. The 1Dx replaces the 1Ds Mark III directly, but the 1D Mark IV line will still continue (!!)

Which begs the question, WHY? Wouldn’t that cannibalize the sale of the 1D Mark IV? I asked Canon Malaysia’s Director of Imaging Communication Products Division Mr Simon Wong exactly this, and he replied that the price of the 1D will be marked down. Logical move, but in every sense, the 1Dx can already replace the 1D, so why confuse the users?

It feels strange, one minute I feel that I am complete, and the next moment, I feel that I am living a completely fake life. Like something, or someone, is missing. A big chunk of me, gone, just like that. Can something as feeble as a human being do that? They are after all, “just human”.

What would I be if things were different? Who will I be instead? How will life take its course differently? I can’t help imagining that in some alternate universe, the alternate “me” is having a different path, as a result of choosing a different route in life. Would I be better off? Would I be more, complete?

Fate is a very weird creature. It plays tricks on you, although you never realize its existence. It makes important decisions in life for you, and sadly you have no control over it. You just notice its effect on you.

Our lives crossed for that one moment, and it shined. It could have shone brighter, but we are at the point where we must move on our own paths. We must carry on. Will our mortal lives ever cross path ever again? No matter how optimistic I would like to be, it still sounds highly unlikely.

Some things are meant to be preserved that way. If you touch it, it loses its magic. As much as I would like to get it back and keep it close to my heart, it would be too selfish of me. By letting it go, I preserve the moments, the memory, the MAGIC.

Thank you for the memory…….

It’s sad, it’s really sad. People are rejecting transsexuals everywhere! In recent years we have seen some really interesting developments about these transsexuals, some are good, but mostly bad. New York has finally legalized same sex marriage, although it is not the first city / country to do so. Pakistan is considering  to legalize the third sex. But sadly this has resulted in a torrent of negative images of the gay and lesbian society as a whole. A gay pastor in Malaysia is being condemned for conducting this marriage with his partner, a broadway musical director in New York.

What’s the fuck is wrong with these people? If they love to be with the person that they love, what is wrong with that? Why do they care if they marry their same sex, marry someone with long hair, no hair, or someone who loves picking his/her nose in public? They get married because they believe in the marriage institution that solemnize their union. It’s not only about the sex you dimwit!
Malaysians are still living in the dark ages when it comes to sexual liberation. I must admit that I was once guilty too. Can’t blame me, I was molested by one! There were a lot of them everywhere, in my school, in the streets, on the bus, they look like very normal everyday people.

Imagine if you were born with a cleft in your lips, a deformed limb, or without the gift of sight. They feel that they are different right from the moment they were born, very low self-esteem to show themselves to the world, for fear of being ridiculed and joked about. This is made worse when their own family members finds out about this, and they are forced to “repent” and “go back to the right path”. But deep inside, they cannot change that, they know it. They fail to understand that sexual preference is biological, it’s not a choice like religion (I’m talking about you, you stupid religion-quoting assholes who calls yourselves holy man!) So what do they do about it? You see closet cross-dressers, or transsexuals who roam the back lanes only at night to avoid the criticizing eyes of the society. They try to live like normal people like what the society norm is, but what is the norm?

My perception of them changed as soon as I got to know them better. Being human, they only desire simple things that any normal human want; to love, and be loved. What could possibly be wrong with that? If being with the person they love for the rest of their lives is wrong, then I don’t know what else is right! Do you want insist that they marry the opposite sex, but NOT the person that they love, and spend the rest of their lives in misery? Heck, even your so-called “normal” marriage ends up in divorce, so what can be normal with that?

Let’s get one thing straight (ahem, no pun intended). I am not writing this to sympatize them. They do not need to be pitied upon. They only desire to be recognized as who they should rightfully be known as. It sounds simple, but there are very intricate things that even very I sometimes do wrong. Have a look at this video:

It is unfortunate that transsexuals are considered people with weird sexual preferences, and thus are often related to porn. But there are actually a bunch of very famous transsexuals individuals worthy of our attention, because they fought for what they believe. Look up Christine Jorgensen, Renee Richards, even our very own Jesse Chung, you will realize that they are very common after all.

What you do feel about the new sexual revolution? Just ask yourself this question, how would you feel if your own son or daughter decided to do the sex change? If you just hesitated, I think you are not ready yet …..

One iPad, two iPhones, three contended girls, 4 happy souls …..

I know I shouldn’t be feeling this, but this is exactly how I felt like when I killed that dog!

Yes a deep sense of closure, an inner peace, on top of the scream of the owner of the dog and my wife sitting behind me. I must sound like a sick sadistic dog killer when my wife told me that its eyeballs got dislodged from its skull! Oh yeah, it sounds bad!

One year ago, I had a bad bite on my foot by a dog back in Sagil. That caused me to walk with a limp for a few months and even when I went to Bangkok later with my wife! Stupid owner of the dog didn’t even bother to own up to his dog and paid me the hospital bills.

Mind you, I wasn’t really planning for any kind of revenge. Let bygones be bygones, I just wanna forget that episode and move on. I was in Sagil to run some errands for my in-laws in their Hilux. It was parked outside the house, so I thought I’d give my girls a ride on top of the open-air carriage at the back. My wife objected to the idea, saying that the girls might jump off the car! Come on, I thought! They are big enough to take care of themselves!

So my wife joined them at the back. And so we went for a short trip around the neighbourhood, with the family dog running alongside us. It was a great feeling, the sight of the dog chasing the pigeons, the breeze in my hair, the kids squealing with delight at the back, what a wonderful family moment!

I was contended with just by following where the dog went, I had no specific road path to go anyway. The dog turned towards the row of low cost houses located at the back of our house, the place where I had been bitten a year ago. Our dog is really a brave but crazy fella, he go and piss at one of the Indian’s house. The fella’s dog, who was fortunately tied up, barked like mad at us. So was the owner, the only difference was that the owner was not tied up!

We moved on at a leisurely pace, leaving the still-cursing owner. Mei Fen called our dog and it gladly went off, having pissed off (literally speaking) the indian family. Then out in the front, I saw a fast moving brown torpedo moving in our direction. Another dog! And this time, this pudgy looking fella is not tied down! And it’s threatening to bite down hard on our dog for trespassing. In less a second a dog-fight erupted. Mei Fen tried in call off our dog again in vain. Our dog was just having too much fun, biting and chomping down this fart-face. We were all safe high up on the 4×4, but we can still feel the tension going on underneath us.

I know that the dogs will not stop so easily. So any sane man will want to bring his family away from the danger. I had to move. But with the dogs under me, and a blind spot on them, I am taking a chance. So I did, I slowly moved away from the scene, as nimble as I could possible afford. And by doing so hoping that the dogs will notice me and move away. I knew I was wrong when I felt the Hilux front wheel crushing on something! OMG, I hit a dog! Oh no, what should I do? I hope it’s just his tail and the little guy is alright. I moved again slowly, hoping that the dog (or whatever it was that I rolled over) would move away (if it still can). It did not, my hind wheel now felt something crushed under it! YIKES! Can’t do anything now, must move away. So I sped away. I was kinda relieved when I saw that our dog was still alive, and is still running at its normal pace, which means that it is not hurt in any way. It did stop for a while to lick on its body, but I couldn’t be sure whether it was really hurt.

Mei Fen told me later that she saw the poor dog which landed under the wheels had its eyeballs popped out! I was driving so I didn’t really get to see with my own eyes how the road kill really looked like. But at least it made a great story to tell to my kids as a lesson, do not get killed underneath a moving truck!

So why the sense of closure? I think that was the mongrel who bit me, although Mei Fen denied that it was.

Hui Yan has always been very stubborn, nothing can stop her from doing what she wants. Same goes if she wants to play the iPad, nothing can stop her from doing so, not even sleep!

I accidentally pressed the stop button on the video recorder in this first part. The second part should be much longer….

I got this idea after watching the mythbuster guy showing it.

And I thought it would be funny to show it to the kids and have a laugh over it!