Mr Wise Guy Blog

We had to move as the company's lease with the bungalow has expired and will not be renewed. So, poor MrWiseGuy and his buddy Ahmad had to lug their Duffel bag and fieldpack to their new accommodation, some 7 mins walk from their old place. Thank God it wasn't as far as I thought. The new place is nearer to the cookhouse, main guest house, and things are shaping up to be better than expected.

Personally, I love this new place. Its cosy and the great location means less time spent walking from dinner, main guest house and such. I've got some pics lined up for my beloved readers. Enjoy and comment!




















Looking forward to a great remaining 3 months here in our new place!

By the way, the internet over here is kinda weird and there are times that we do not have access. So, yeap, if there are any urgent matters, kindly drop me an email or contact my Indian line if you have it.

I love fixing stuff. Its like an addiction to fix things that are not working, especially when it comes to electrical and mechanical matters. If I'm not fixing something, I'll be figuring out how things work. Its a MrWiseGuy thing ya noe. =P

To fix and make things work, you need tools. I'd love to bring in my whole toolbox where I have my spanner, screwdrivers, multimeter and such, but because weight is an issue when it comes to travelling, I have my Swiss Army Knife to tackle them.


I've brought this bad boy to nearly all of my adventure trips for the past 4 years. I've used it to start a 5-ton army tonner, cut through barb wire, fishing trips, open bottles, camping trips, picnics, cut birthday cakes, chip through ice and so on so forth. Its uses are unlimited and sometimes I wonder how such a thing could withstand so much abuse for an extended period of time.

Its not that I'm promoting it, I'm just in the mood for sharing with you guys one of my must-have items for a trip; The Swiss Army Knife.

There are not many things here that remind me of home, or even capable of giving me comfort. With this in mind, it comes to know surprise that when I come across something that boosts my morale and help me keep my sanity, I cherish every bit of it. One good example would be my weekly Subway Club Foot Long meal.

If heaven isn't a foot-long Subway Club fresh from the microwave oven, then I don't know what is.


Here in Nashik, they have Subway home delivery. And thank God for that! Usually, we'll hang around Nashik in the earlier part of the day, make our order in the early evening, and have it delivered after internet time. That way, we got to heat it up in our microwave, and EVERYONE knows that food tastes best when its warm.





We're kinda fortunate that the last batch left us a microwave oven. Without it, we can't make our weekend breakfast, late night hot drinks, nor can we heat up our precious Subway sandwich. So yeah, Subway Club is THE FOOD here in Nashik. Without it, life would be much difficult. heh.

Its tough to move around here in India. Okay, to be fair, buses are everywhere, autos are at every corner, and cheap too! But to save time, extend our life expectancy (by avoiding haggling and arguments with auto drivers) and avoid being late for work, we decide to get two-wheelers for daily transport.

So here's our proud two-wheeler, a Bajaj Chetak!



Its a tough bike to use, let alone use it to teach someone else to ride (Ahmad and JY). Up till now, I still stall the bike at low speeds. Its a matter of getting use to it, and its still a reliable beast of burden. Oh, and Desmond from the GIP Office came to visit us today! Pics up by this week yea!

Pizzas make great snacks. They come in slices, are yummy, cheap, and incredibly easy to make. Its made easier thanks to microwave ready pizzas available in most supermarkets. These frozen pizzas are so convenient. Pop it in the microwave oven, and poof! You got yourself a pizza there.

Wished there were some cheap frozen yummy pizzas here. Handy when it comes to days when you're so lazy to get out of the house. OR OR, those L4D2 sessions where we have a get together in the house. O. M. G. A. W. D. Yummy pizzas + zombies = heaven.

All they have are expensive ones that they serve in the restaurant. Damn, we would have went for pizza today, but the prices were way over our budget. You guys should check out Tony's Pizza. These frozen pizzas come in Original crust (7 varieties! Pepperoni, Cheese, Sausage + Pepperoni, Supreme, Hamburger, Four Cheese, Meat Trio), Crispy crust pizza and pouches. The crispy crust pizzas are zero in trans fat and it is baked, not fried! Cool or what. And and and the pouches are hand-held pizza snacks that comes in 4 varieties!

*drools in food-boring Nashik*

Tony's Pizza is also giving away free bowling games with purchase of their pizzas! Terms and conditions apply. Click here to read more.

Although Windows Vista had long been released, I am still a great fan of Windows XP. In fact, all my PCs, be it this laptop, or my desktop, is still running on Windows XP. Yes, Windows XP may not have all the bells and whistles of Windows Vista. Its simplicity and robust design is more appealing to me than some fancy window animation that is just a burden to my processor.


Anyways, you should know that Microsoft is ending support for Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista RTM, Windows 2000 Professional and Windows Server 2000. On April 13, 2010, Vista RTM will reach the end of support while on July 13, 2010, Windows XP SP2 and Windows 2000 Professional will reach the same milestone. In addition, Microsoft will be ending support for Windows Server 2000 and moving Windows 2003 from Mainstream Support to Extended Support.


The end of support means there will be no more security updates for these versions.

It is important to take action prior to the end of support date to ensure your computers are as secure as possible. These may include:

• Update PCs or OS to a newer version. Eg. Windows 7
• Those not ready to upgrade and continue to use Windows XP or Windows Vista should download and install the latest service pack: either Windows XP SP3 or Windows Vista SP2
  

So guys, go and check your computers!

P.S. MrWiseGuy runs on Windows XP SP3

Every thing which floats may not avoid us from sinking, thats why wise people always acquire art of Swiming - (Sharad Jadhav)

I have decided to write a post on our current favourite makan place, “Chines Cabana.” Because good cooked food is difficult to find here, I think its worth my time telling you guys more about it.

Chines Cabana (yeap without the ‘e’ at the back), is a small roadside stall that serves non-veg food. Thank God for this place, because without it, life would be just veg. Urgh. It’s a small, roadside stall, beside the Mumbai-Agra Highway.

Yeap, you got me right, its beside a highway.

I hate running. I hate running so much, I had 5 points (3 for SBJ) for all my stations for the IPPT, but barely pass my 2.4km run. Aiyaaaa... How la how.

Even though I hate running, I think I'm in good shape. 12 pull ups, 40 situps in 60seconds, now that's something. The secret? Try not to eat so much, do not snack, and keep to your meal times. Oh, and I only learnt how to snack just last year no thanks to exams and such. But GENERALLY, I keep to my meal times.

Now, I might not have as much for you readers to learn and take note from as compared to www.wellnessdaily.com, but I'll just give you my 2-rupees worth on the topic of eating healthy.

• Avoid soft drinks (Keyword: AVOID)
• Drink the moment you feel thirsty
• Eat a proper meal for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
• Brush your teeth before heading to bed
• Eat vegetables
• Have plenty of fruits
• In general, eat in moderation
  

Rightttttt. I hope that helps!

I love ice-cream, and all sinful food. Important thing is to eat in moderation and exercise. Oh and it helps too that I ride a bike and sweat it out everytime I ride. I hope you guys would hope on over to www.wellnessdaily.com and check the wonderful site. Lots of tips on eating healthy, staying healthy, and getting healthy are up on the site.

So Good luck guys, and stay HEALTHY! Yey!

Its a great day at work today. In fact, it was great yesterday and today, and I believe that the prayers from my family and loved ones back at home, enabled my heart and mind to open up. Some sort of a proxy to 'Doa Penerang Hati.' =P Thanks for your prayers and because of YOU, I see some progress in my project. Special thanks goes to Mamadee, Papadee, Aiqaldee, Kakakdee, Wak Yana, Cocodee, Cikada and Coalieco.

So anyways, I will be working this Sunday, no thanks to a new company policy that swaps the official off day from Sunday to Saturday. The policy will be taken with immediate effect to facilitate the swap for shutdown of electricity from Sunday to Saturday.

Great.

First time in my life, I'll be wearing formal on a Sunday. Crazy or what.

I was doing my normal news reading on www.channelnewsasia.com.sg, and stumbled upon an article; “Decline in Marriages involving Malay minors.” It is a step towards the right direction for the malay community, and it is great to hear positive reports about home. Other than that, the same article mentioned that the government will build a Masjid in Jurong West.

It is not surprising news. Really. Masjid Pusara Aman is already stretched with the workers from the shipyards, nearby camps and friends from NTU. It has been upgraded several times as demand increased over the years, but still, it is not enough. Assyakirin on the other hand is packed with those who live and work near Taman Jurong. Not forgetting the occasional NTU student who has a bike and rides to that masjid. With these two Masjids already operating at maximum capacity, it is only natural that the government should do something about it.

Here’s what Dr Yaacob has to say:

“MCYS, together with MND, URA and MUIS, have studied the issue. Based on our assessment, there is particularly high demand for prayer space in Jurong West and Woodlands because they are large towns with a significant Muslim population. In addition, the mosques in these areas also serve Muslim workers from the nearby industrial estates at Tuas and Woodlands, as well as students from the nearby tertiary institutions such as Nanyang Technological University and Republic Polytechnic, during Friday prayers. Unfortunately, there are no other mosques nearby which are able to cope with the spill-over demand. Even after upgrading the existing mosques to increase capacity, there would still be a shortage of space. Therefore, I am pleased to announce that the government has decided to reserve land for MUIS to build two additional mosques in Woodlands and Jurong West."

Alhamdulilah.
Alhamdulillah.
Alhamdulillah.

I had a short review with my mentor today. He seemed pleased, although he pointed out quite a lot of things to be added to my presentation and project content after I gave him a summary of what I had done so far.

To be honest, I was cross with myself. Although it might seem that I know what I am doing, but in actual fact, I'm at a dead end with my project. I keep telling myself that the grass is always greener on the other side, and that I should not compare my project with others, but everytime I feel like I achieved a breakthrough, it is not long before I reach another dead end. In fact, I have voiced out this concern to my mentor, and unsurprisingly, we share the same sentiments.

Spent an hour doing my soul searching at the line amidst the flurry of activities. It was a great hour and I believe I am focused now.

All I need is an "A", and I am on my way to my honours.

Ahmad and me had a pretty lazy weekend. While Raj and Jay went to the temple, we slacked the day away, heading to MacDonalds for lunch, and later having dinner at 5-star. But on Sunday, the four of us headed out to Gangapur.

We didn't have much planned out except that Gangapur is the place where most of our colleagues stay, and SHOULD be a happening place. In the end, we never did manage to find out where on Earth that place was, but we did find Gangapur Lake.

Gangapur Lake (according to Google Earth is North East of our place, approximately 15km away from our house. It is rather small actually, and is puny if compared to other great lakes like Seletar Reservoir and MacRitchie Reservoir. =P







The water has always been an essential part of nature in my opinion. Just look at how beautiful the beach is, waterfalls, river rapids, etc etc. Without water, it will just be sand, a pile of rocks, or in this case, a very empty basin. Just looking at the lake gives me a sense of security, telling me that there is enough water here, in dry Nashik. heh.









On the way down, a guy wielding a parang shouted at us in some foreign language. 2 months of being in India has taught us that they we do not necessary have to follow what is being told to us, and of course, we were saved by our local interpreter, Mr B.Anuraj, who conversed a bit, and we walked off safe and sound. heh.

On a more serious note, it is true that we should not do things as told. Most of the time, we can choose to ignore people. Like for example, "Hey! No photography! Delete those photos and show me your camera!" In this situation, one should just say sorry, and walk off. No need to answer to that person.

In India, EVERYTHING can be negotiated. For real. I've seen Auto ride prices slashed by more than 75%, dinner bills slashed by 25%, and you really need to give a fight to get things done your way. And that's some life lesson I picked up here in India. Things need not get physical. Just use the power of negotiation.

Now you know why Indians make good lawyers. heh.