Killer Whale Kills Sea World Orlando Trainer

OMG... I couldn't believe it when the news came out that an Orca Whale (also known as Killer Whale) killed a trainer in Sea World Orlando Florida. My heart goes out to the trainer... To have her dream job and to die doing it... At the same time, I don't feel that the orca whale should be blamed. It is after all an animal, and mabye it was having a bad day or something... Animals just like humans tend to be moody and have bad days too... I pity the orca whale...

I think Sea World made the correct decision by keeping the Orca Whale in Sea World so that it would be together with its family and not releasing it to the wild. If they do release the Orca to the wild, it would not be able to fend and feed itself as it has been living in captivity for so long as is so used to having humans feed it fish. And... to put the Orca down would be down right cruel!!!

Its just... A sad sad tragedy that this happened...

Trainer Dawn Brancheau with Orca Whale Tilikum.

R.I.P Phil Harris

I've been following the reality tv show, Deadliest Catch since its first season aired on Discovery channel. I don't know if you guys watch it, but its a nice show. The series has so far been nominated for four Primetime Emmy Award in 2007. Deadliest Catch tells about the life of fishermen who fish in the Bearing Sea (in Alaska) twice a year. The show follows a number of fishing vessels who fish during the King Crabs and also Opilio Crabs seasons.

Captain Phil (the one with the huge belly) in the middle with his crew and two sons (who also work on board the Cornelia Marie) on the right.

Recently, the captain from one of the fishing vessels, Cornelia Marie had just passed away. Got a shock when i saw on Discovery Chanel that he has passed on. But i guess, looking back, the past season, he was already ill and was diagnosed with a blood clot in his heart. Although he was treated and returned to fishing a year later, he still continued to smoke, heavily. So.... I guess it was coming.

Too bad, he was a good captain. I wonder whose going to take over as captain of Cornelia Marie now.... Wonder when will they release the new season of Deadliest Catch... I'm looking forward to it. Soon hopefully...

Happy Chinese New Year

Hey all,

Wishing you guys a very Happy Chinese New Year. May the year of the Tiger bring lots of luck, prosperity, health, wealth and everything else good. Hope you'll get lots of 'Ang Pows' too and don't forget to treat me when you do. ;p

Victor's Farewell

Went out on Thursday night to The Social @ Bangsar to see Victor one last time before he left for Australia. The Social is a bar, restaurant, and poolroom, all 3 in one. Decor wise, since I've only been to two bars, Skybar and The Social, of course Skybar has much nicer decor, but the prices in Skybar is also way nicer... If you get what I mean.

Throughout the night, I only had 1 drink the whole night, i'm not much of a drinker, but the guys, Galvin had 3 drinks and Victor had 2... Originally, I ordered Cosmopolitan, but ended up drinking Vodka + lemon (Galvin's drink). Galvin drank my Cosmopolitan. Haha... Victor ordered Blue Hawaii.

From left to right: Cosmopolitan, Vodka + lemon, Blue Hawaii.

Cosmopolitan (skyy, cointreau, cranberry): Doesn't really taste good. Don't order.

Vodka + lemon: Best drink of the night. Will definitely order it again.

Blue hawaii (run, malibu, blue curacao, pineapple juice): Taste ok. It tasted of Malibu. Taste sweet.

Toasted Almond (skyy vanilla, kahlua, amaretto, milk)

Vic then ordered Toasted Almond as his second drink. Toasted almond tasted more like cough syrup. It was horrible. The worse drink of the night. Please guys, don't ever order this drink.

Aside from that, I also sipped vodka + lime and jack daniels + coke (Galvin's drinks).

Vodka + lime: Not bad, but a bit sour. Vodka + lemon taste better, more refreshing.

Jack daniels + coke: Not nice. I don't like it. Coke + Hennessy or Coke + chivas taste much better.

Aside from the drinks, the place itself is ok, but the company was good. And at the end of the day, its not the drinks which matters, its the company. Wishing you all the best in Australia, Vic. I'll see you again when you're in M'sia again after 5 months. :)

Holidays again and farewells.

Yup, i am once again having semester break, until March starts. Actually, i've been having semester break all along but I was doing summer semester. I just finished my finals yesterday and now its time to celebrate Chinese New Year and to marathon Lost Season 5 (I'm a huge fan, been following since season 1).

Aside from that, three of my friends from Monash will be leaving to Australia soon. Sui Ching will be leaving to Tasmania University to complete her degree there. I met up with Sui Ching for lunch yesterday, and will definitely miss her.

Sui Ching and I @ Sushi Zenmai.

Hopefully i can meet up with Victor before he leaves. Ling Ling, you are too far away, all the way in Johor. But Victor and Ling Ling, i will see you guys in six months time. The two of them are exchanging for one semester to Monash Australia.

Anyways, all the best to the three of you and take care. Keep in touch guys. Will miss ya. ;p

Cleaning the ceiling fan.

Dear blog,

I cleaned my house ceiling fans for the first time in 21 years of my life today. Now i know why my mum always starts to nag us whenever we leave the ceiling fan on. Its hard work. Hmmm... I'll try to help my mum clean the ceiling fan as often as possible nowadays. But seriously, I think my bro should do it. He's taller, its easier for him. Don't need to climb up so high on the ladder. Hahaha. :p

Same Sex Male Latin Dance

I was watching So You Think You Can Dance Season 6 on astro earlier today, and it was at that part of the show where they were holding auditions. And, as I was watching, this gay couple auditioned, and they danced a latin dance, and OMG, were they good. Seriously, their dance was so beautiful. The two guys were so flexible and the dance was full of emotion too. It was the first time I ever say anything like that. Latin dances usually consisted of a girl and a guy. Who knew that they actually had same sex latin competitions, overseas of course. This couple who auditioned actually won gold for United States. They were really good and got through to Vegas.

Btw, I'm straight yea, I just think they are really good dancers and it was a beautiful dance. :)

Internet Problems

I just got my laptop back from the service center. I sent my Acer laptop, which is not even a year old yet, in for servicing due to internet problems. My internet tends to jam up on certain sites, usually those sites which require animations or a lot of graphics... Why is that? Its really not much of a bother, because when that happens i just have to restart my lappie and everything will go back to normal, but it is however annoying. Aside from the internet problems, my laptop works just fine.

The technition said that nothing was wrong with my hardware, and he said it was a software problem. I'm currently using Mozilla Firefox, he suggested to change to Google Chrome, saying that mabye Firefox wasn't so compatible with the system.... What do you guys think? Anybody have any solutions as to how i can fix this internet problem on my lappie? Thanks.

Rare Tiger Cubs Filmed

Rare close-up video of a Sumatran tiger and two cubs was captured recently in a camera trap in the jungle of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island.

WWF set up the cameras to help monitor the population of the tigers in their primary breeding grounds, which the WWF says is under threat from poaching and deforestation.

The tigers approached the camera, sniffed it, and then walked away. The noise you hear is one of the tigers off-camera inspecting the apparatus.

WWF says the footage is a ‘cause for celebration.’ The group says it’s the first time they’ve recorded evidence of tiger breeding in central Sumatra.

There are as few as 400 Sumatran tigers left in Indonesia.

The WWF says the tiger habitat is threatened by companies clearing the forest for paper and palm oil production, as well as illegal logging.

The infrared-triggered camera traps are activated when they sense body heat in their path. These cameras were placed nearly a month ago along a wildlife ‘corridor’ known to be used by tigers.

After five years of WWF study in Sumatra using wildlife-activated still camera traps, these are the first images of a tiger with offspring.

*This article and video was taken from National Geographic.*

Hope

It is once again the beginning of a brand new year, time really does fly and you don't even notice it. Before you know it, a year has passed...

When it is the beginning of a brand new year, most people, especially me, has a new sense of hope. Hope in Greek is the word elpis, which means anticipation with pleasure, an expectation, or confidence.

Hope is something that pleases our heart.
Hope satisfies and edifies us.
Hope gives us strength to preserve on in times when we are down.
Hope excites us with prospect of the things to come.
Hope is a good, positive thing which keeps us moving forward.

Those are what Pastor said in service last Saturday (Pastor actually preached about moving forward with confidence, but part of his preaching was about hope). And I found myself thinking, that is so right. To me, without hope, life would be meaningless. It would be like living without goals, without a purpose. I can't remember how many times it was hope that pushed me on, that kept me going. Without hope, I would have broken down a long time ago....

This year... once again, I have hopes and dreams. And in a way... those hopes and dreams of mine makes me who i am, and it also keeps me alive. It keeps me from giving up. It pushes me to preserve on and to keep going to matter how tough situations get. Hope... for a better future... keeps my spirit and my the fire in me alive.... I guess, in a different sense, hope paints a picture that the future is a better and brighter place.

Hopes which did not come to pass last year, would have been brought forward to this year. Either that... or if that hope is not important enough, or mabye the time for that 'hope' has passed, then we just leave it as it is, in the past. Just like we all leave 2009 behind and hope for a better and brighter year in 2010.