boon's log 4403.02
Attention Smokers!
Saw this while crossing the ever busy Orchard Road in Singapore (the Republic's equivalent to London's Oxford Street). This is a cool way of reminding smokers what smoking can do their lungs/health. Imagine smokers who have been smoking for umpteen years!!! Then the patch could have been bigger - probably the entire Orchard Road! Yikes!


no offence to smokers... :o)

Anyway, attempting to walk along the Orchard Road or crossing the road is almost like a scene taken from a training program that Neo went through in the movie, The Matrix.

Here is a snapshot of the busy pedestrian walkways along Orchard Road...


Singapore was really hot and humid while I was there. But heard that it rained and was nice on the day after we left. Singapore has changed very much, compared to the last time I was there about 2 years ago. Many improvements and new developments has happened in Singapore since then. My time in Singapore was interesting and I will have more updates on my Singapore trip later...

Overall, Singapore Roars! GGGrrrr!

more coming up, stay tuned...

boon out...

boon's log 4403.01 supplementary A
All in a day's work...
Caught this while walking for my breakfast in Penang 2 weeks ago (yeah, I had my faithful Canon A40 with me this time!!!). Cannot believe my eyes when I saw this. This guy is suspended almost 5 storeys high, hanging on to just a ladder that is hung over the edge of the roof of the building with only a man on top securing the ladder with his bare hands... and he is painting the side of the building. If you think your job in the office is bad, well, would you rather be in his shoes?



Makes me wonder whether is it really worth it to put his own life at risk? Or should the contractor have taken more safety precautions in ensuring that the employees are doing their work safely? Is there a pricetag for safety, really?

boon out...

boon's log 4403.01
breakfast with a star
Was having breakfast with my family yesterday in one of the famous kopitiam (coffee shop in Hokkien) in Ipoh called Kong Heng. When we were almost finished with breakfast, guess who strolled in? Dawned with a pair of Matrix-like sunglasses, it was the Bond Girl herself, Miss Michelle Yeoh - together with her dad and brother. At that moment, I went scrambling for my digi-cam, but only to find that it was left at home, with my exhausted batteries from my week long vacation. She looked.... okay, but not as good as she does (or did) on the silver screen. Though I am no ardent fan of hers, but it would have been nice to take a picture with her in a kopitiam in Ipoh, ain't it? Well, as usual, as soon as she came in, people were half shouting, half whispering, "Michelle Yeoh is here!", "That is Michelle Yeoh!", "Isn't that Michelle Yeoh?" and what happened next was hoards of people swarming around her as she sat down, asking her for her autograph. Not sure whether she is enjoying it, but I guess she does... :) Who does not enjoy fame, right? But I guess it does come with a price... an unpeaceful breakfast with your dad in your very own hometown... (oh, by the way, she is from Ipoh...)

boon out...

boon's log 4103.03
Additional Headcount
Bought a few more fishes two weekends ago: 4 Suckermouths and 2 white/albino corydoras (Corydoras aeneus), bringing the Tank count to 18. I was also having problems controlling the growth of algae in my tank. Found out that one of the proactive ways to prevent excessive growth of algae in tanks with live plants is to keep the tank away from direct sunlight or if your tank has a light source or some kind of illumination (On top of the tank), is to make sure that you switch it on when necessary only.

My problem was that the light source was left turned on for a couple of days due to my indiscipline caused by too much work... (dang!). Anyway, the reactive response now is to get help from my good ol' friends, the Midget Suckermouth Catfish (featured in boon's log dated Aug 13 2003). These guys are real super-algae eaters! I just left them over one night and here is the result


Leaving them in the tank for a few more nights, this is what I got...


Much cleaner, ain't it?! Amazing...

Hope the sucker-buddies will continue to perform their OPERATION:CLEANSWEEP. We'll see what happens.

boon out...

boon's log 4103.02
Killer Plant
Saw this cool billboard while I was driving pass the University of Science, Malaysia (USM). It is a parody of a famous Cigarette company advertisement, with the silhouette of two cool hunks in cowboy clothing mounted on their mighty stallions, riding into the fiery sunset. But the punchline is very much different from the tagline of the cigarette ad - by the Ministry of Health, Malaysia.

Cool advertisement, huh? Well, look closely...


Tobacco kills?

I have blown up the image of the billboard for better visibility at the top right hand corner of the image. If you look closer, you will notice the words, "Tembakau Membunuh". I find it kind of funny, cause when translated, it means, "Tobacco Kills". The last I checked, this was what's in the Webster's...

Main Entry: tobacco
Pronunciation: t&-'ba-(")kO
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -cos
Date: circa 1565
1 : any of a genus (Nicotiana) of chiefly American plants of the nightshade family with viscid foliage and tubular flowers; especially : a tall erect annual tropical American herb (N. tabacum) cultivated for its leaves

Picture of a Tobacco...

Tobacco Plant

So, tobacco kills? Hmm... it is like saying Cow kills or Pig kills (due to excessive consumption of Beef or Pork can lead to high cholesterol levels which can lead to death)

boon out...

boon's log 4103.01
Bad Weather
PENANG, Malaysia (BP) - Penang (and her surroundings) has been hit by some freak weather for the past few days, beginning last Thursday. The worst seems to be over and the situation seems to be getting slightly better so far, as of today, though there are still some pockets of rain now and then.

The continuous heavy downpour has caused several issues to the island and her dwellers. Boonspot's Team Penang Geographic Explorers managed to capture some of the distressing images, as a result of this downpour.


What used to be a bus-stop has become a shelter for motorcycles. Water levels at this area has risen up to knee level.


Waves seen hitting hard against the shores of Gurney Drive. On any normal day, you would be able to see hotels and condomuniums at the background, but the rain has overshadowed them all.


Excavator/Tractor or a submarine?


An entrance into the highway from a flooded rest area, with a sampan at the background.


Flooded rest area on the mainland.

Besides the above, roads are also damaged while hundreds are evacuated from High Risk areas. The Ministry of Education has confirmed that the PMR exams will still go on until further notice. We will try to cover more of this sudden catastrophe as the events unfolds. Pray that the rain will stop soon before more damage is done. - BP (boonspot's Press)

boon out...

boon's log 4003.03 suplementary B
About Analcoholic
Analcoholic. Laugh all you want about the word itself. But guess what I bumped into today... Click here!

Of all the names in the world, right?

Anyway, did some further research on the word during lunch. Apparently, according to one Italian website, Coca-Cola is also categorized under Analcoholic Beverages. Check this out...

http://www.italiandomains.net/siti.php?iniziale=1&categoria=6087 (scroll down to the... errr... bottom. Ahem...)

Amazing? Believe it.... or not.

boon out...