Hishgraphics

Two Views Of The Same Page

Because I've using Firefox on Ubuntu 6.06 LTS to surf the net, here are two different looks of this website's index page. I have no preference on which is better looking, but apart from the fonts, there really isn't much difference, thanks to Ubuntu not being able to display the Trebuchet MS font. The original screen resolution is 1200 x 800.

The top is the WinXP Firefox with the Aluminum Kai 2 theme; and below is the Ubuntu Firefox on Ubuntu with the Ubuntu Tangerine theme.

Click on the thumbnails to view the larger images.

Last night however, the home desktop died a fiery death and I can't reinstall any OS. Not WinXP, not Ubuntu. (Thankfully, God created work laptops.) Thanks to a suggestion from Kris Vanderwater the Atlantean, I'm now downloading Knoppix ISO file to see if I can run the Knoppix Linux-based OS off the CD. However, if the old hard disk drive is physically damaged, I don't think I can install anything into the systems partition of the first hard disk drive... which means desperate measures (translation: money to be spent) will be required.

Another Hari Raya, Another OS

Last Aidilfitri two months ago, I was trying to install Ubuntu into the Kelantan desktop belonging to Ain's parents. Although the installation was a success I didn't get very far with it since I couldn't access the internet with it to download and install more software packages with it. (Translation: I just used it to play Mahjong,)

It's now Aidiladha and I've now not only installed Ubuntu into this laptop here in Sitiawan. I'm also accessing the internet via Tok Irfan's ADSL modem via a PPPoE connection through my own Streamyx account, dowloading and installing software packages and typing out this entry on the weblog.

Happy Aidiladha, everyone. I'm heading to Taiping for Irfan's Aunt Eda's merisik kenduri. I'll be back next year (Ha!) to analyse and document how I got Ubuntu into this machine. It was hard looking for articles online how to create partitions for the installation and connect to Streamyx. So one more article won't hurt, I guess.

Quaked by Internet Problems

Now it seems that we're unable to connect to servers in the United States and Europe. I can't even access my work email. I couldn't even access this weblog since this morning until about 1342 hours local time. And I hope before the connection flips out again, I'd get this entry written and saved.

According to rumours from Jeff Ooi's blog, last night's Taiwanese disastrous earthquake caused Asia Pacific Cable Network 2 Segment 7 (APCN2 S7) to go tits up and caused internet connections between Malaysia, among other countries, to the United States to be congested.

APCN2 is the longest international seabed fibre cable network, 19,000km in total length, in the Asia-Pacific, linking China, Japan, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and onward to linking America, Europe and Australia. The network went into operation in October 2002 for the initial phase.

The project was spearheaded by 26 telecommunications companies, namely Advantel, Cable & Wireless Global Network, Cable&Wireless HKT, China Telecom, China Unicom, Chunghwa Telecom, Concert, Global Network Services, Global One, Japan Telecom, KDD Corpe ration, Korea Telecom, KPN, Layer 2, MCI, WorldCom, Metromedia Giber Network Service, NTT Com, NCIC, OneLink Cable Network, PLDT, StarHub, SingTel, Taiwan Fixed Network, Teleglobe, Telekom Malaysia, Telstra and Williams Communications.

The APCN2 cable system was designed to provide 2.56 Terrabits per second (Tbps) using state-of-the-art Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) technology to provide upgradeable, future proof transmission facilities. However, APCN2 currently runs on a designated transmission capacity of 160 Gigabits per second (Gbps).

Read the entire article here.

Update at 1823 hours:

Here are two more sources dealing with the current outages. The Star has a couple of articles on it while LowYat.net has the TMNet statement as well as some graphics concerning the regional cable network.

Here's to a speedy recovery of this side of Pacific Ocean's data communications network.

Best Office Space Ever

By the way if you're hard up for wireless internet, the benches right in front of the MPH bookstore (top floor) is information supersluice tube. Bathrooms and surau are close by. Who knows... you might even find yourself in a conversation with a friendly passerby which ends with you yelling at the top of your voice, "Yeah! This is future of office work baby! Go back into your sunless cryp- er, I mean office and sulk!"

Meanwhile not far away, a dogfight between an Incom Corporation T-65C-A2 and a Sienar Fleet Systems Twin Ion Engine Advanced x1 was underway. How cool is that?

For Lack of A Better Game

So out of watching four episodes of Heroes in a single night , a game between Ain and Emma was born.

The first to yell out "TIM KRING!" whenever his name came out onscreen wins. That's eight times in three hours. Once during the short intro and the other when the Executive Producer name appears during the story after the intro... each episode.

Not as easy as you might think. You get caught up in the teaser, someone's bound to forget to yell immediately when the name appears.

"TIM KRING!"

What Transpired In Pakistan

Like DSA 2006 back in April, we were at another defence exhibition only this time in Karachi, Pakistan. My apprehension was soon laid to rest as the local organisers as well as the other foreign exhibitors who were great folks whose company I enjoyed. Whenever we got together, there usually was loud chuckling and sometimes there were incredible belly laughs, which I believe began for the first time when we tried to figure out what the acronym "CIP" actually was.

Nope, ain't tellin'.

Karachi is Sunny but Cool

So There We We Were At Jinnah International

Hikam and I arrived at about 2025 local time via the Pakistan International Airlines flight. It was enjoyable. I think I slept four out of the six hours airborne. The inflight movie was Pirates of the Carribeans - Dead Man's Chest.

Luckily the hotel transport people were waiting for our arrival. One less thing to worry about.

It's now almost 1000 local time in the morning, and we've had some breakfast. Access to Wireless LAN in only in the lobby on the ground floor and on the 6th and 7th floors. So, here I am in the lobby trying to get some information down the internet tubes.

Next Week I Fly To...

...Karachi, Pakistan.

The journey will be nested between the coming two Saturdays. Since the company is small I have to run around getting stuff done in preparation for the trip.

Between this and the course assignment - that had me on edge for weeks until I finally submitted it one week late - I had no time updating this here weblog. Heck, I didn't even have time to come up with some artwork which I promised myself I'd come up with for recreation time.

A stand-out moment during the running around would be last Friday when the Airline employee looked at me (when she realized I was booking the tickets for myself) and asked with a tinge of disbelief, "You're the one going?"

Hopefully by two weeks we'll have some photos of Karachi here. (And hopefully we'll have internet connection at the hotel there.)

And Now For A Word... Or Four

Today is the last day of Ramadhan and tomorrow is Aidilfilti.

We’ve just had our last sahur for the year and now the sun is slowly rising in the cool morning air of Irfan’s Tok Bah’s house here in the outskirts of Pasir Mas. We arrived here at noon yesterday, commandeering Irfan’s Atok’s car which he left with us before flying off to Ohio earlier this week. As you can see they’re having lots of fun (and awesome food) in the previous post.

On To The Far Side Of The Planet

Tok and Opah Irfan boarded the flight that would take them to Singapore, then hopskip to Tokyo, Chicago and finally Cincinnati where Ayah Cik and Cik Dik would be waiting to bring them to their house in Middletown, OH for a month at the United States. This would be their second time in the US.

To prevent being late for the flight because of breaking of fast, we left after 6 PM from the Tenth Floor, headed for Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) which is strangely enough a million light years away from KL, but maybe that's a subject for another entry.

We broke sawm driving through Putrajaya and ate dinner after Mahgrib prayers at the Dengkil R&R on the PLUS Highway. And no, I didn't need to pick my teeth en route.

Anyway... pictures, as they say, are worth a thousand words:

Hair!

OK, so I didn't actually go see the musical Hair while I was in New York City on Saturday, but here's some news on hair:

I cut mine!!

The Sixth Year

It's been six years since Ain & I were married. More than 10 years since we first met.

Overall it's been a great six years. It wasn't a perfect six years. It's been one hell of a rollercoaster for this and that reasons. But I'm still in love with her as much as the days before we were married, and I feel some measure of pride over the life we've built. For that I am very grateful to the Almighty for His joys, including the one known as Irfan Shafiq.

There is probably many more years of riding this rollercoaster, but I hope we've learnt much and matured enough to allow us to determine what's important in life, endure the ride and make the right decisions.

Into the Second Week of Ramadhan

It's now the second week of Ramadhan.

If anyone asks (and you'd know the answer to this if you've asked me) it's been more tiring than it's been hungry. The myth that you're wiped out and floored by the hunger was totally dispelled when I was fourteen and playing hockey in the mornings during fasting month. And again, when I was seventeen and whacking tennis balls against the wall after school at 3 PM in the hot sun - though I was wiped out after that.

However, this year I find out I can barely stay awake after 10 PM. I wonder if it's because of the job I'm working now. I've already missed 2 nights of Tarawih & Witir prayers. I remember less than 10 years ago completing a full month of them at the mosque, even.

And this year, for Aidilfitri, Tok & Opah Irfan will be in Ohio spending time with Sila & Vin. It wouldn't be a stretch to expect some pictures of them with Irfan's Ayah Cik and Cik Dik on this weblog in the next couple of months.

Happy Ramadhan, everybody.

In Front of Pandan Capital

So the other day I walked from the house all the way across Pandan Indah to the MPAJ (Ampang Jaya Municipal Council) building to pay property tax over the counter.

One weird thing about this house is that the mailing address has it in Kuala Lumpur with a KL postcode. The phone line is part of the Cheras - Pandan Jaya local prefix, which also puts it in Kuala Lumpur's network. But we have to pay property tax to Ampang Jaya, which is part of the state of Selangor.

Meanwhile, behind us is Cempaka, which is Ampang, and in front of us is Pandan Indah central, which is also Ampang. It seems like we're trapped in a thin peninsular of Kuala Lumpur, trapped between alien territories.

Anyway here are some photos I took of the street in front of the MPAJ building.

Clear View From The Tenth Floor

It has been pretty hazy and smoggy this past week, except when we headed back to Kelantan in the weekend. It might have contributed to me coughing up a storm to the point of even laughing pains me. Earlier today, it seemed like it was going to be the same old evil, soul-sucking grayness blanketing everything as far as the eye can see.

I took the day off today to rest because of the coughs and perhaps I wasn't getting enough sleep this past few days. Yesterday was the worst. It felt like I was barely conscious the entire day and would collapse at any time.

As We Turned the Corner...

It was a fine sunny day as we sped southbound the Gua Musang road from Pasir Mas to Kuala Lumpur. There were still thirty kilometres or so from where we were to Gua Musang. Sparse but sometimes breathtaking limestone hills flank us, each hill seemed ankle deep in the greenery of oil palm trees.

The radio was on full blare with Raihan's Puji-pujian and the road was following along a curve. Suddenly, a shocking sight was revealed to us.

Lesson For The Semester

Yesterday was my semester finals. There are a few good lessons I learnt this semester.

1. I procrastinate til the last moment before I really study, thus activating my panic button right around 6 hours before the exams begin.

2. I should start to study a month before exams.

3. I realize these are all lessons I've learnt before in previous semesters, and things always go apeshit at finals.

4. I accept it as status quo and go back to sleep until about a day before my next semester finals. Wheee!

It's just past 0500 hours. Right now, we're all heading for Kelantan for the weekend (and the couple of days before it); and Sila and Vin are headed for Puerto Rico soon.

Vaya con dios, alls y'all.

Music Of My Choice In The Car Again

The cassette player in my car hasn't been functioning for quite a long time, and I don't have a CD player aboard. So I have been at the mercy of whatever the radio stations been churning out should I want to listen to music in the car.

But from yesterday, all that have changed. I am now able to listen to stuff I want to whenever I want to.

Job Done - Heading Home

I forgot to mention in the previous post that Sam and I spent the night at Ambhara hotel. It was quite a comfortable place to stay, with a shopping mall (whose name escapes me for now) right across the street from it. For some reason we were too lethargic when we arrived all we could do after ordering room service - I ordered the nasi goreng pelangi - is fall asleep until sundown.

That night our contact met up with us at the cafe downstairs for the next day's big meeting preparation, then Sam and I went to the mall across the street where he had bakso and I had nasi goreng omelette. I had no idea it was nasi goreng dumped on a humungous omelette - which was delicious, so I ain't complaining.