Dad’s Nokia 6230
I still can't pass my chin-up, so I have remedial training daily from 2pm to 4pm at the Gombak Recreation Centre gym. It's actually a decent two-hour break from work, except on mounting days.
Archive
Founder of lesterchan.net, a Singapore tech and gadgets blog running since 2002. An engineering leader by day and a WordPress plugin developer since 2003, with a soft spot for gadgets, smart home, and a good deal.
The Phantom of Opera
On Friday I caught a 9.20pm screening of The Phantom of the Opera at GV Marina, my first musical movie. Perhaps that's why the singing instead of dialogue made it harder for me to follow what was going on.
iPod Shuffle
Apple's latest flash-based MP3 player is the iPod Shuffle, in two flavours: 512MB at S$178 and 1GB at S$268. It offers up to 12 hours of battery life and skip-free playback, but has no display, connecting over USB.
Its 2005
It's 2005, and I had a memorable countdown at the Mindef Main Gate. Li Xiang was meant to wake at 9am for a noon haircut at HarbourFront; I called to rouse her, but she dozed off again until 11.30am.
Happy New Year 2005
While burning all my movies, I'll update the blog. On 29th December 2004 we had dinner at Akashi, my mom's favourite Japanese restaurant for its fresh sushi, especially the unagi sushi at $4 a piece.
Merry Christmas 2004
A little late, but Merry Christmas 2004, everyone, six days to 2005 and 14 to taking down my P-plate. On Christmas Eve I booked out at noon; luckily my section was dismounting, or I'd have stayed back until 2pm.
Military Policeman
Finally an update after weeks of being busy or lazy. On Saturday, 27th November 2004, there was a SAFPU family day at Jurong Swimming Complex in the morning, a total waste of time, since army-organised events allow little freedom.
The Incredibles
On Saturday I booked out at 12.30pm and fetched Li Xiang for a movie. We wanted The Incredibles around 9pm, but GV Plaza, Cathay Cineleisure and GV Marina were all sold out, so we booked the 12.25am slot.
Orchard Hotel
On Saturday, 13th November 2004, I trimmed my hair at Everton Park for $12, pricey for a trim. I also discovered Cosy Bay at Kallang is a place, not an area as I'd thought.
Happy Birthday Xiang!
Finally some time to update after two weeks. On Saturday, 6th November 2004, I booked out around 12.30pm and fetched Li Xiang to Marina Square, the start of a busy stretch of days I'll recap here.
The Cellular
On Saturday I picked up Li Xiang and headed to Marina Square for The Cellular. Luckily traffic around the Suntec City circle was light, so I negotiated it easily; rounding circles isn't even in the driving test any more.
Ladder 49
On Saturday I slept until 1pm, then went to Funan to pre-order Half-Life 2: Collector's Edition at $129 while my brother got the standard at $69.90. We had a late lunch at Swensen's; the mixed grill is nice.
Half-Life 2 Gone Gold
Half-Life 2 has finally gone gold after almost three years of waiting, with a planned release of 16th November 2004. The standard edition is S$69.90 and the collector's edition S$139. I'm going to pre-order mine tomorrow.
Driving After 4 Months
On Saturday I trimmed my hair at Everton Park, then drove my mom's new car home after four months away from the wheel. I met Johnson, Jackey and Li Xiang for dinner to mark Johnson's first book.
Life In Provost
On Saturday I woke at 6am and reached Pasir Ris Park by 7.20am for the Provost Unit's 5km Life Run. The cloudy weather was cool for running; without our 78 SOP trainees, turnout would have been thin.
End Of Block Leave
On Friday I had lunch with my family at a Chinese restaurant in King's Hotel. The service was terrible, ignored for 20 minutes with no utensils or orders taken, and only three dishes were any good.
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
I met Li Xiang at Great World City for Resident Evil: Apocalypse, a two-hour film far more action-packed than the first but with a simpler storyline. I still prefer the original Resident Evil; this one ends on a cliffhanger.
My Cousin Enlisted Into Pegasus
On Tuesday I had lunch with my mom and brother at HarbourFront. We tried Noodle Hut, a Shanghainese place; the fried la mian and guo tie were nice, the xiao long bao less so.
Half-Life 2 Packages
Gabe Newell says the Half-Life 2 offers are finalised, with the Steam bundles going on sale next week. Buyers via Steam get the final Counter-Strike: Source immediately, alongside Half-Life 2 and the other games in the Steam offer.
Shit Job
I reached Tekong at 8.30pm and walked to my company line. Up in my bunk, all our food and my liquid shoe polish were gone. Luckily a friend brought cup noodles; only 12 of my platoon turned up.
Familiar Faces
On Saturday I visited my grandfather and auntie in Toa Payoh, months since I last did; I miss them. We had kway chap for dinner, cheap and good at $7.80 for four.
End Of BMT
On Thursday I had my Pass Out Parade, and everything went smoothly, with human traffic far better regulated than on parents' visiting day. Afterwards all of us from Pegasus formed a huge circle around our OC and 2IC.