My Last Pair Of Nike

It is official. I am no longer a fan boy of Nike after 25 years.

My last pair of Nike tennis shoes is finally dead and replaced by my newly acquired Adidas Barricade 6.0.

I anyhowly bought the pair at Queensway simply because I needed a pair to play tennis when I am back and given that I only only 4 times a year, it is hard to take my shoe shopping very seriously. That was until I returned in 2009 before I really punished it with tennis marathons that at one time, I played a whopping 10 hours in the glorious sun (with breaks and lunch in between).

So after 4 years, it finally gave way. Not bad for a $50 pair of shoes.

I fondly remembered my first pair of Nike Waffles. I picked up running partly to rid myself of anemia and partly also to siam having to perform First Aid duty during school runs. Those St John Ambulance uniforms are really a bitch to be wearing under the hot sun.

I fell in love with running and both literally and figuratively ran away with the sport. I have had many Nike running shoes over the years as I run through them very very frequently. From Air Pegasus, to Windrunner, to Air Max, just to name a few. Then there were also the cross-trainers, golf shoes and as mentioned earlier, the tennis shoes which have served me well over the years.

Eventually, I switched my running shoes to Asics as it is a tad wider which suits my broad feet better. I am using the GT-2140 at the moment.

So with the final pair of Nike tennis shoes in the trash can. I bid Nike adieu for now and thanks for 25 years of good service.

Perhaps another pair of Nike in the future? Perhaps. Perhaps. Perhaps.

Image Credits: http://www.finishline.com; http://www.polyvore.com

- Voxeros

Singapore PresiTAN Election 2011 - Vote Who Ah?

It is only a few hours before the polling starts for us to vote for the next president of Singapore.

I am still undecided at this point and so I thought I share my thought processes here. Hopefully, I have a better inkling by the time I pen this.

1. Tony Tan is definitely eliminated from my list as he is PAP. From one angle you see PAP returning to power in the General Elections 2011 earlier in the year with 60% of the vote. When people don't realise is that there is 40% of the electoral votes out there who actually oppose the PAP. If you were to look closer you would have also noticed that the votes for the PAP, over the years, has slid from 75% to 66% to now 60%.
   
   People are not happy with the PAP. So voting Tony Tan would be to add one more PAP man into the foray and add to the aggravation.
   
   
2. Tan Jee Say is also eliminated from my list. I see him as a person who rocks the boat and making everyone sea sick rather than to help the Gahmen steer it. I saw him in the TOC Face2Face forum and I find him a tad too aggressive and confrontational. You have to understand that the president has no executive powers and if anything thing needs to be done, it would require the help of the Gahmen to do it.
   
   Tan Jee Say is certainly one who will not be able to get much support from the Gahmen.
   
   
3. Tan Cheng Bok is a likely candidate for me to vote. He was a respected MP in the past and is known not to be a Yes-Man in amongst the rank of the Men In White. What Tan Jee Say, can't do. Tan Cheng Bok can. He has lobbying power to the fellow active MPs to support him.
   
   However, his silence from doing something about the exhorbitant $4 million salary per annum that comes with this position leaves a sour taste in my tongue and I still regard him as a PAP men, albeit less of a concern with regards to Tony Tan.
   
   
4. Tan Kin Lian is a person I have gotten to know, via the web, when the Lehman Brothers toxic minibonds fell apart. I appreciated his efforts to organise events to get the affected investors together and help them seek help from the various authorities. I felt that was one class act.
   
   Tan Kin Lian is the only one we can see running around and actively doing things for the people for quite a while already. He is not your typical MP candidate who merely show up shaking hands just mere days before election time. All claimed to be the people's president but in terms of crebility, Tan Kin Lian has the edge based on what he has been doing all this while.
   
   I also appreciate the gesture that he pledged to donate more than half of the president's salary if he were to be elected. Granted Tan Jee Say came in subsequently to "undercut" at $500k, I say the impact is not there if you weren't the first strike.
   
   Unfortunately, I think the shoes of the president may be a little too big for TKL. I am not sure if he has what it takes to be President. If Tan Jee Say does not have much leeway to lobby for support, I am afraid that Tan Kin Lian may not fair any better.
   
   If the Gahmen were to oppose Tan Jee Say, then on the same token I would say that the Gahmen would bor hiew Tan Kin Lian. Lagi worse coz at the very least Tan Jee Say will get some attention from the Gahmen.
   
   One of the functions of the president is to receive foreign dignitaries but I felt that Tan Kin Lian isn't eloquent enough to hold a decent English conversation. It may proved to be a challenge to represent the country in a slightly more elegant and dignified fashion. Still, this should be something that can be  resolved if Tan Kin Lian were to engaged a speech coach, just as if Tony Tan were to hire a Mandarin tutor.
   
   Perhaps Tan Kin Lian should go watch the movie, The King's Speech. It should inspire.

Decision. Decision. Decision

Image Credit: http://theonlinecitizen.com

- Voxeros

Dumbass Of The Week XVIII

That's my tennis racquet. I had to cut the strings even though it was freshly restrung. The tension was way too low to be playable.

The tennis culture here is non-existent resulting in the absence of a proper tennis gear shop.

I snapped my last one and I brought my racquet and provided my own strings (Gamma Ruff 16) since my type of string is not very mainstream.

I spoke to the guy at the shop who expressed his hesitation but subsequently agreed to do it, after I assured him that I will not ask him for compensation if it was not done up to spec.

So when the first time the string was not done up to my standard, I ordered another set of strings (God bless Taobao.com!) and went down to the shop again.

I show him the racquet with the strings intact and showed him how low the tension was.

Then he confessed that his stringing machine was actually meant for badminton racquet only.

BADMINTON!???!!!

Then why you tell me ok when I ask for 60 lbs tension??!!

Early early say cannot do lor!!!

Liew.......

Guess I have to make a trip to Hong Kong just to string my racquet.

Very the 夸张 can???

1 unread - All Your XMMs Are Belong To JayWalk - Voxeros [JayWalk] on Plurk via kwout

- Voxeros

0nly You Pub

For the new visitors who are not familiar with my blog, please read the following about H0llyw00d Baby Bar first.

• JayWalk Online (30 Apr 2008) - CowBoyCaleb REALLY REALLY Sucked At Pool
  
  
• JayWalk Online (05 Sep 2008) - Sian XMM Episode XVI
  
  
• JayWalk Online (13 Oct 2010) - Sian XMM Episode XX

Anyway, the above is a photo of a new pub that recently opened in my area. The name of the place is called "0nly You".

In general, I don't like local pubs as

1. It is usually too dark.
   
2. The music is too loud to allow a decent conversation.
   
3. The pool table is damn crappy. There was this other pub where you need to play one side of the table with a half cue coz it is cramped too near to the wall. Or another where you frustrate yourself to death with snooker sized pockets.

which is well, I only hang out at the H0llyw00d Baby Bar coz it is the exact opposite of the above 3 factors. And also being a regular there other than specially discounted price for me, "everybody knows your name".

So why, you ask, am I doing at a new pub?

Well, most of the waitress there are ex-staff of the H0llyw00d Baby bar which means everybody STILL knows your name. The place is less brightly lit but yet not too dark. Music is not too loud and they have a very decent pool table.

Top of it all, it shows EPL matches on the BIG SCREEN. Woots!

Prices are a bit more expensive here where a bottle of Barcardi at H0llyw00d Baby (with unlimited mixers) is RMB 400 whereas 0nly You is charging me RMB 480 (6 cans of complimentary mixers).

Given that it is the first week of opening, they are giving me 1-for-1. So 2 bottles of Barcardi for the same RMB 480 i.e. RMB 240 per bottle. Good deal!

The only downside is the uniform that the girls are forced to wear very horrible looking garb. (See above).

I was temporarily blinded when I first walked in and they were all happily lined up and basking under the UV light.

Oh. My. Eyes.

A check with one of the girls and she too concur that it was damn uncomfortable to be wearing clothes with "so much more material". See picture right for what they are used to wearing especially in the summer.

In any case, I am making a point to return regularly or at the very least until the English Premier League season is over.

- Voxeros

The Bliss Of Three Screens

That's my new office that I just moved in earlier this month. Well, part of my room to be exact.

Decided to get the Matrox DualHead2Go as a office warming gift to myself. Heh.

Part of my work requires a lot of cross-referencing across many spreadsheets. I used to have so much grief with Alt-Tab to switch between screens coz the spreadsheets all looked very similar and with many applications running, there are times where I have to cycle through many Alt-Tabs just to get to the one that I want.

This little gadget is really a godsend for me and my money well spent.

Unfortunately, the extended screens flickers quite a bit, although still manageable. I blame it on the cheapo LCD monitors that sits before me that I had to choose the analog version of the Matrox DualHead2Go.

Perhaps when I get to change to better monitors, I may get the digital version......

..... and maybe a 3rd monitor to make it 4?

- Voxeros

Cook And Share A Pot Of Curry Day - 21 Aug 2011

• Reuters (21 Aug 2011) - Singaporeans' Culinary Anti-Immigration Protest: Curry
  
  
• Today Online (08 Aug 2011) - Number Of Neighbour Disputes Hit High
  
  
• Community Mediation Centre (08 Aug 2011) - Clarification Issued By Community Mediation Unit Regarding The TODAY Article, “Number Of Neighbour Disputes Hit High” (8 August 2011)
  
  
• AsiaOne (16 August 2011) - Families Settle Curry Dispute, Not Mediators

Greetings to all my fellow Singaporeans with a pot of curry all the way from Taobaoland.

Reading the news of the dispute really got my blood boiling and it sure wasn't the spices acting up this time.

Just for the record, I have nothing against people of any nationality. I welcome one and all to my house. 来者是客.

However.

Curry to me is a national dish that transcends all races. Yes, while the origins of curry may hail from some place else, it has been with us for so long that we have adopted and embraced it like it is our own son.

So forgive me, if I get all up in arms when some strangers step into my house and start dissing my son.

So to all the bigots out there, Happy Cook And Share A Pot Of Curry Day!

If you don't like it, you don't have to be here, you know?

I would like to play the good host to you.....

.... but only if you reciprocate and play the good guest.

- Voxeros

Singapore President Lelong!! Lelong!!!

• TodayOnline (21 Aug 2011) - Tan Jee Say: S$500,000 Is Enough For Me
  
  
• JayWalk Online (28 Jul 2011) - Singapore Presidential Election 2011

Remember when I mentioned in my previous Singapore Presidential Election 2011 entry that I would vote for the cheapest candidate since none of them will be doing much, since the Gahmen will be pulling all the stops to cock block whatever the newly elected president said that he would do in his campaign speeches.

First, we have Tan Kin Lian who shaves the President's salary (SGD 4 million+) by half, promising to donate at least half of his salary away.

Now, we have Tan Jee Say who comes in at $500k, thereby shaving Tan Kin Lian's intended salary to just a quarter.

So going by geometric progression where we have 1 > 1/2 > 1/4, that means the next candidate who plays the next salary cut card, shall declare his salary to 1/8 of Tan Jee Say's i.e. SGD 62,500 per year.

I like where this is heading. Heh heh.

Lai ah!!!! Singapore President Lelong!!! Lelong!!!

Image Credit: http://sin.stb.s-msn.com

- Voxeros

Hot Summer

Summer has been so hot this year that the figurines in the living room are starting to melt and keel over.

Sibeh 夸张 can????

HOT!!!

- Voxeros

Sian XMM Episode XXIII

It all started with an innocent Plurk by Gingerbreadman commenting the contrast of Barflies participation activity between the coming Elected President Election and the recently concluded General Election 2011.

So while we were on the topic of Singapore Presidents, one of our ex-Presidents, Devan Nair, was brought up. This is the one ex-President that has an alleged alcoholism scandal hover over him. Naturally, jokes started sprouted all over the place as I recalled them on Plurk, to which I scored myself an accidental Sian XMM Episode.

Enjoy the Plurk extract below (irrelevant bits have been taken out).

(Click Here To Enlarge)


or


(Click Here To See The Actual Plurk)

- Voxeros

Happy National Day 2011

Enjoy this "alternative" National Day music video. If you have been following Singapore's current affairs during the past year, you would have spotted several "inside jokes", ranging from the very obvious Tin Pei Ling jibe to the very subtle Lady Gaga "Fun Pack Song" dig.

See if you can spot them all.

In all, this is a good year for Singapore as the people are starting to awake from their political apathy slumber to make their voices heard.

To the present Gahmen, the people have this message for you. This is your last chance to do good for the people. Screw it up again and you will find yourself out of work, even if you are a highly regarded cabinet minister.

Happy National Day.

- Voxeros

Happy National Day, Chen Show Mao!

Click Here To Enlarge

You gotta hand it to this Chen Show Mao guy. That (above) was an excellent picture that said a thousand words.

While there was nothing much said in the caption on Chen's facebook picture, we got the message loud and clear nevertheless.

Oh and that's me adding my bit. (Click to Enlarge).

Yes, I am quite a bastard sometimes.

Bad JayWalk! Bad! Bad! *slaps self*

Image Credit: Facebook - Chen Show Mao

- Voxeros

JayWalk Is 70% Singaporean

Click Picture To Enlarge

This is a just-for-laughs gag quiz at http://iamsingaporean.sg/ where it will analyse your facebook page to look out Singlish as well as other traits uniquely Singaporean to determine your score.

Try it!

- Voxeros

Connie Talbot 2011

Anyone still remember Connie Talbot? I blogged about here back in 2007 when she stunned the whole world on the Britian's Got Talent show.

Here's Connie four years later with thanks to KingMeng for finding this.

Wow, how she has grown. I look forward to her officially start her singing career when she becomes of age. :)

- Voxeros

Lost In Translation XI

I was out having lunch at this newly opened Ta1wan restaurant when I did a double take at their menu.

Hong Halogen Taste? What the hell is HONG HALOGEN TASTE??

If you look at the menu really really closely, I am sure there is a mouse, mouse pad, table lamp and even a pen holder in there somewhere.

Now that we are on the topic of translation horrors, I also got these in my email earlier in the morning from my cousin in McAllen TX.

Man..... it's been a while since I did a Lost In Translation episode.

Enjoy.

Strictly forbid to what??!!

Mishandle flowers you the what???!!

This sign really jin confusing.

Psst... this way to the secret society hideout. Don't forget the secret password to get inside.

The reason why people are so put off by Two Girls One Cup is because they are unhygienic, they should have used disposable cups.

You can only use these toilets only if you need to bomb.

- Voxeros