Pao, the Modern Digital Tamagotchi

What the heck is Tamogatchi?! Well, if you do not know, perhaps.. You might be heaps younger than me, ayoyoyo.. Well, Tanagotchi is an egglike shape device dangling on a keychain. In it there's a small screen with your digital pet.. You need to feed it, clean it when it poops and play with it.

Anyway, well.. As I am new to the Aps world, I am quite surprised to discover Pao.. It ran along the same idea as Tamagotchi.. You have to feed it, clean it and play with it. Kinda amusing to see the two little me - Kimi and Haikal to enjoy Pao as much as I enjoyed Tamagotchi.

Anyway, my tab went sick and had to be sent to the Samsung clinic for a couple of day. I really worried about Pao and imagining him RIP. Thank god he is just dirty and extremely hungry with very wobbly eyes (that means he is really tired and hunggry and unhappy). Well, loads of snacks, health portion and sleep later had Pao towards his old self again.

P/s. Can't imagine what to tell my kiddies should Pao had died. Haha.. :P


Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Train Track Kerteh - Gambang Nowadays..

Can't sleep so browsing my hp pic snapshots.. Came across this pic of the Petronas train track from Kerteh to Gambang.

Previously built to facilitate logistic of OnG products, if I am not mistaken.. It is just run for a year plus before it was used no more.

Pity isn't it. Would be nice if it could be used for short trip Kerteh - Gambang - Kuantan perhaps?

Here is a portion of the track that is near to our newly recultivated small crop of rubber plantation. Quaint view aint it? Nice for a wedding photoshoot. Here also there lies a sign. Beware of wild animals. Kerteh my hometown, is a modern OnG small town, but had to say we had wild life aplenty.. Wild boars and a while back, a strayed tiger even roam our backyard ;P

Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Here or There? PhD?

I have soo many blogs that thruthfully I lost count of them. Even in this one, I had soo many drafts entry but yet to be unpublished. Been too busy maa... and now, my tab is at the hp clinic, no doubt I spend too many time playing game on it....  So there goes my aim to update more with a tab. Hahaha.. but I digress.

Anyway, my older aim is creating blogs according to my interest, but I am thinking I can't maintained it all, so I am thinking to just converge all my musings into my oldest and my most entered blog which is this one.

So... as of my earlier aim.. 2013 would be the year that I should have start my phD study. On June 1st, I will be 38 :( .. ooo getting old already, so if I start this year.. aim in July to send out my proposal.. 39... 38 (a year).. 39/2014 (a year) and 40/2015 (another year).. I should have fulfilled my desire to get a doctorate by 40 (or loosely before I am 41 haha)...

OK, that one is resolved, so where to study? So, getting the list from here: http://www.terbelog.com/2012/03/rankings-universiti-terbaik-malaysia.html

RANKING UNIVERSITI-UNIVERSITI TERBAIK DI MALAYSIA 2012 

1.Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) (Rank dunia: 428)
2.Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) (Rank dunia: 437)
3.Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) (Rank dunia: 464)
4.Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) (Rank dunia: 523)
5.Universiti Malaya (UM) (Rank dunia: 596)
6.Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) (Rank dunia: 626)
7.Multimedia University (MMU) (Rank dunia: 891)
8.Universiti Malaysia Sabah (Rank dunia: 1222)
9.Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UNIMAP) (Rank dunia: 1341)
10.International Islamic University of Malaysia (UIA) (Rank dunia: 1411)
11.Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)
12.Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN)
13.Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM)
14.Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman
15.Universiti Malaysia Terengganu
16.Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)
17.Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP)
18.Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia
19.Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia
20.Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
21.Open University Malaysia
22.Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka
23.International Medical University
24.Taylor's University College
25.Tunku Abdul Rahman College
26.Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia
27.University of Nottingam Malaysia
28.UCSI University
29.Monash University Malaysia
30.Malaysia Theological Seminary
31.Universiti Kuala Lumpur
32.Curtin University of Technology Sarawak Campus
33.Universiti Industri Selangor
34.Selangor International Islamic University College
35.Al Madinah International University
36.Wawasan Open University
37.University Tun Abdul Razak
38.KDU College
39.Universiti Malaysia Kelantan
40.Asia Pasific Institute of Information Technology
41.Help University College
42.Sunway University College
43.INSANIAH University College
44.Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin
45.Segi College
45.University of Malaya Medical Center & Faculty of Medicine 47.Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia
48.Malaysian Institute of Management
49.Limkokwing University of Creative Technology
50.Disted-Stamford College

(Sumber: Webometric)

I was thinking UM, USM and UKM due to their top rankings, then, I was thinking the foreign JV ones Monash and Nottingham.. then... I rethink again..

- what the heck, those with these good quality cost $$$$ .. I am not that deep pocketed mind you..
- my workload is adhoc .. sometimes busy, sometimes not
- I am not so keen to travel so far to meet with supervisors
- the end is the PhD, nobody cares where you get it from (is this true)..

Anyway, met a colleague who had studied in UMK  (Uni Msia Kelantan) but suddenly my friend who is a lecturer there suggested why not UMT (Uni Msia Terengganu). Heck, why hadn't I think of that? Nearer .. and also new.. with better resources.. not bad semester fee (+/- 1,600) - near to where I stay.. OOOoooOooo revelation.

So, wish me luck. Am trying to immerse myself in studying again. Scrubbing my brains again. Surfing boring phd stuffs now.. good ones would be www.drotspss.blogspot.com (very casual and light.. not the bored to death sort of stuff phD holders usually sprouts on) as well as the FB: Doctorate Support Group. I am deeply impressed by DSG FB.. it embodies the 1 Malaysia spirits.. all races helping each other towards the completion of the study. Lots of sharing and caring - full of ideas and critical well meaning comments.

iQuran Lite

Well, I am supposed to do seriius stuffs with my tab, but with soo many free and amusing aps out there, it is getting harder and harder... esp when you downloaded games forbthe kiddies and ended getting addicted yoyrself haha...

Anyway, tonite I am gonna write a review on a bit more serious stuff on my tab... the iQuran lite...

I like it because:-

1. It is conveniet, we bring our smartphone everywhere and it is such a hassle free things rather bring along your hard copy Quran..

2. No need for wuduk or ablution to touch it as its an ap, not a full blown Quran.. thought being in ablution is still the best.. earn extra brownies points..

3. You can check your reading... well, with almost no regular practise, think mot would find their Quran reading skills a bit rusty, with iQuran you can practise your reading. For eah ayat or word, you can preset how many times you want it repeated so that you cab double check n repractise.

4. It is free

5. Once you downloaded the audio, its there.

6. There is translation, so that you know what the heck are you reading,

Other aps I found beneficial for Muslim would be the qiblat direction (easy for those like me whom is always on the go and need to check our qiblah to perform prayers).. ooh and also prayer time.. azan reminder so that you know each time the 5 prayer time per day started.

Wel, that's it for me at the moment. Now, when can I finished my whole book of Quran :)

Sent from Samsung tablet

Test Seating the Exora

Why test seating you might ask... Well, the showroom we went do not have a test drive unit, so I just use the whole family to test seat the Exora haha..

Yeah, I been having problem with my new old Peugeout 306, it is an old car, bought secondhand when my beloved also second hand Kia Sportage went sputtering on me. I love that Sportage.. old but very convenient, nice height, but fuel is killing me. Another car which is hubby's, is a Sorento. Also bought second hand. Hurmmm.. I love first hand cars, but hubby loves second hands' ones.

My first and the only car in my name is my Iswara, bought in 1999 and been seating at my dad's porch for about 5 years as a secondary car.. Its been nearing its life anyway, and since my brother bought a new Persona, perhaps all and all, these factors pushes me towards a new car.

Why an Exora you might ask... well, got 3 kiddies now, and seeing me a big girl... my boys and new girl would be big boys n girls too.. so that make 5 of us including mr. hubby. Sometimes my mom or mon-in-law would follow us on trips.. that would make 6... 3 adults n 3 kids.. Exora comfortably seats 7... so that's an extra seats should any of my brother and sister own or in-laws to join in as well. What I like about Exora is its size, very comfortable. I tried the 2nd row passenger seats... quite roomy legroom... quite comparable to hubby's Sorento. 3rd seats was occupied by my sons, Kimi and Haikal, very roomy for the too, as well as average size adults. Also there's a convenient nook on each side where the boys could put in their individual food and drinks.. no more shouting of who's stealing whos's snacks after this :)

The first row seat is standard.. nothing much to shout about.. yeah, the complaint about too much cheap plastic look is true, nothing inspiring there, basic design consul.. even Alza's is nicer looking (we went to a Perodua showroom straight after the Proton one just to compare haha).. but Alza is a bit tight and compact for us. Kimi and Haikal do not even show interest to jump in the back seats of Alza to try it out. Ooo.. another thing I like about Alza is the bench style seating in the first row, bet Hannah could join me and hubby there, kinda bringing me back in the early 80s, in my dad's old Nissan, when I was being the youngest, would be the one privileged to be one of the front row passanger.. no aircond during that time, just a small fan, which ate my hair during one of our balik kamping trip from Kedah to Kelantan hehe.. nostalgic :)

Alza's seat.. exactly like the one we oogled.

 

 

Yeah, that fan there evoke the memory tho the interior should be nicer in the 80s.

 

Other things I love about Exora...
- aircon vents on every row... heaven, no more conquering of aircons..
- lotsa nook and crannies for the drinks, handphone, milk bottles :)
- very very spacious
- 2nd and third row could be reclined rather than just the usual stiff upright position..
- space .. oh?! did I mentioned it again :P
- $$$$$$
- we need a comfy ride cz there's a lotta plan to go Cuti-cuti Malaysia soon hehe :P

Since around 9/1/2013, Proton had rolled out a very nice alternative for those slightly tight on budget.. RM69K for a basic Exora (aka no premium accessories such as DVD, leather seats), but still retaining its safety features with CFE engine. Well, I do not know much about what CFE means, but in a layman term, it gives more turbo or boost power to Exora's 1.6 litre engine to help carry Exora body mass.. well, it is a big car so rationally, it would definitely weight a bit.

Perhaps the info I cilok from paultan.org would help explain a bit:-

Proton has added a new variant to its Exora MPV range. With the new Proton Exora Bold 1.6 CFE Standard, one can now have a turbocharged CFE engine in the more affordable Standard spec. Previously, turbo power was exclusive to the Exora Bold 1.6 CFE Premium, which remains as the range topper, six-seater Exora Prime aside.

The Exora Bold 1.6 CFE Standard is priced at RM69,000 on-the-road with insurance and metallic paint, which is slightly over RM10k cheaper than the RM80,012 Premium that was launched in December 2011. Further down the range, there’s a basic Campro CPS, manual transmission variant.



The Exora Bold Standard uses the same powertrain pairing as the Exora Premium and top-spec Prevé – a turbocharged 1.6 CFE engine with 138 hp and 205 Nm of torque, paired to a CVT gearbox. 0-100 km/h acceleration is done in 11.3 seconds, while top speed is 185 km/h.

The listed performance figures are identical to the Premium, but since the Standard is 86 kg lighter (1,400 vs 1,486 kg) we won’t be surprised if it’s slightly faster.

Drool .. the Exora Standard CFE - this is my quote :P

Like the Premium, it comes with ABS, EBD, dual airbags and all round disc brakes. Also missing are leather seats, reverse sensors, Bluetooth and DVD functions for the ICE system, steering wheel buttons, cruise control and auto folding wing mirrors.

I hope to trade in my old Iswara (was told that I could only get max 3K for it).. and then transfer my NCD (No claim discount) to the Exora.. Hurmm, just gotta wait a few more months to get some small stupid loan settled first before I could comfortably pay the Exora.

Hubby loves a Cross Touran, but well, it is very expansive, near RM170K.. I don't believe in spending that kind of money especially when he's on a new job and not a permanent staff yet.. perhaps not yet. We compromised in a way, I would buy an Exora, and he would buy a second hand Cross Touran.. haha 2nd hand again :P

Anyway, wish me luck! Hope to post my new Exora pics soon or at least by year end, god willing :)

Testing Out My Old New Slow Cooker

A brief history about my slow cooker.. Got it when my 2nd is just a baby, around 4 years ago. Thought of cooking moi or rice porridge for him using it, but never did haha.. He already love the nestum cereal. Thank god that I got it by redeeming my Maybank Treatspoint so, don't feel the loss at all :P

Well, my youngest Hannah is an eater as well. She loves porridge so I gotta brush up the cooker so today is the day. As its the first time, just boil plain rice with water, just to try out. Its a simple machine, just plain on and off button, so need to experiment a bit. Read that some had high or low button on it that would cook as fast as two hours or eight hours on it.

Think mine is the superslow one. Perhaps my moi would take 8 hours. Gotta buy some potato and carrots too, just to give extra taste to the baby. Need to find out about some mini blender to.. Found out some like Phillips cost around RM 250+.. Need to find cheaper alternative lah.

Also found put some other use for the cooker such as heater for kuah or soups for the laksa during event such as Hari Raya etc as well as scrumptious beef stew. Have to experiment soon :)

Sent by Maxis from my BlackBerry® smartphone

Still Crazy on the Tab

Well, still exploring my tab... am loving it. Already redeem a bluetooh headset via my Maybank treatspoint this morning.... a samsung one for treatspoint 27,000... okla, better get it free hehe...

Samsung also got loads of aps, am driving myself crazy downloading games for the boy, till got a lot more space haha...

Anyway, need thinking wheather to use my BB at least for the next few days.. got a function la, kinda odd without the bluetooth headsetla....

Testing My New Samsung Tab

Am testing my tab capability for me to blog. Well, think my Haikal is treating it as his. That's his face the morning he discovered my new tab hehe....

So, my likes and dislikes on the samsung tab:-

Likes
1. Definitely a just nife size for me to read during my frequent road journey
2. Lots of aps... definitely games for the kids, quran and journals for ke once I start  my phd..
3. Think putting in pics for the blog would be easier..
4. Can disguised itself as a notebook.. not too bulky or look like a phone from the first glance....

Dislikes
1. Also the size ... a bit embarrased answering phonecall with it.. like talking to a book haha.. definitely need to invest in a bluetooth headst ;p
2. Lots of typo...
3. 3g reception worst that my BB in my Kerteh home.

Overall, I am well satisfied. Though the day I bought my tab, the new Samsung Brand is just out, but I think the 7 inch tab would suit me better. Just the perfect novel size for me, not too big or small...

Hope to pen more hotel review after this, with better and more pics definitely.

So, now its the 3rd phone for this blog... my beloved N70, the trusty Blackberry Bold.... and finally Samsung Tab :)