After a 3-month hiatus, I’m pleased to announce that I’m finally back to blogging again! This time should be for good, well at least until I start getting busy with whatever drops in my lap again.

Won’t be doing any podcast reviews today, since I’ll need some time to do some research and preparation first. I have added a few new podcast subscriptions to my iTunes during this time, and they’re all very good. So a keep a lookout for my upcoming reviews for those!

Meanwhile, let me just give a brief update on what’s been happening to me and the world around me in the past 3 months. First and foremost, as some of you know by now, I’ve FINALLY gotten a promotion. After working in my current company for 4 years, I’m now OFFICIALLY a Senior Software Developer. Naturally, the pay package has been adjusted slightly to match the new position. It was a reasonable adjustment, though the final figure is still on the low side, compared to what some of my peers are earning outside. Nonetheless, I’m a happier worker now.

The fact that I’m typing this new blog entry also means that I’ve finally completed my final-year modules. Well, almost. I’ve completed the final assignment, which is due for submission next week. There will be a project presentation in the following week. And then I sit and wait for results. Then if all goes well (please pray for me, folks), I can finally make the necessary arrangements for graduation. FINALLY! Woo-hoo!

On a sad note, my god-brother’s mom passed away 3 weeks ago, just before Mother’s Day. She died of cancer. I only found out a few days later after reading a couple of entries he left on his blog where he mentioned that his dad was devastated during the funeral. He himself was feeling very sad, but for the sake of his dad, he had to stay strong. I can fully understand that feeling. My own dad passed away 11 years ago, and I had to tell myself to be strong for my mom. If you will, please pray for the repose of the soul of my god-brother’s mom and my dear dear dad, as well as for my god-brother’s family that they will be strong.

Another tiny tiny tragedy that happened recently was that I broke the LED display on my newly bought Creative ZEN Stone Plus MP3 player, after careless dropping it on the floor Thankfully the player still works in terms of audio. I just can’t see what I’m doing when I’m fiddling with the settings. The bf checked with the nice people at the Creative store near his office, and they confirmed that the 1-year warranty I had on the device was not going to cover the repair if I choose to send it in (what can I say, I was careless), and the cost of repairing the LED was going to be S$69. WHAT!!!! The player cost me S$99, and the repair is $69?!?! I might as well get a new one! Urgh!

Well, that’s all for now. Will try to get the podcast reviews ready by next week. Watch out for it!

Tags: life, musings, rant, technology

It’s been a while since my last blog. It’s been a busy week, with lots of bug-fixing, researching, head-cracking, brainstorming and such. Thankfully, the weekend has finally arrived, and now I can rest and relax a bit before the next busy week begins.

As I’ve mentioned on Facebook and Twitter, I attended the Microsoft Server Launch Wave 2008 with my product leader, Edward, on Thursday (21/2/2008). We were given a glimpse of the soon-to-be launched Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 as well as the recently launched Visual Studio 2008. It was a spectacular event, well at least the breakfast buffet was very spectacular. Ed and I ate to our hearts content. Compensation for making me wake up at 5:30am and leaving my house before the sun rose, so that I can arrive at the convention centre at 8am. The product demos were pretty impressive, but apparently it didn’t impress our CTO much when Ed reported to him about the seminar. I enjoyed myself at the seminar, where I also met 2 of my ex-classmates, both of them MVPs (Microsoft Most Valuable Professional) and regulars at events like this. We chatted a while and introduced Ed to them. Ed and I then visited each of the partner booths at the seminar, where I happily handed our my business card in exchange for freebies. I ran out of business cards that day and I made a mental note to bring more the next time I attend such an event.

That day was also the 15th day (and last day) of the Chinese New Year octave or yuan xiao (元宵), also known as the Lantern Festival or deng jie (灯节) as there were often lantern shows in the evening. It marks the end of the Chinese New Year festivities and is also traditionally known as the Chinese equivalent of Valentine’s Day in the west, because back in the old imperial days, it was the only chance young women had to get out of the house and to meet young men and fall in love. I met the bf for lunch, since I was in town for the Microsoft seminar. Ed joined us as he didn’t want to carry my heavy bag of freebies back to the office for me alone.

In the evening, I celebrated yuan xiao with mom by eating tang yuan (汤圆), or glutinous rice balls, a traditional dessert eaten on yuan xiao. It signifies reunion/unity and “sticking” together in times of good and bad. That same evening was also the night where the results of the S$10,000,000 lottery were announced. Just as most Singaporeans, I also bought some lottery tickets in the hope of winning something. But alas. none of my tickets won. Sigh.

I’ve picked up a couple of new podcasts in the past few weeks, and I’ll talk about them here probably in the next entry, so keep a lookout!

Tags: life, musings, rant, technology

As some of you may know by now, I lost my Rosary bracelet today. It was a beaded Rosary bracelet which I bought at a charity drive at church last Sunday. I’ve been wearing it to work every morning since then. However this morning, in my rush to get to work on time, I left the bracelet in one of the compartments of my handbag and ran out of the house. I had meant to put the bracelet on later on the bus, but I totally forgot about it until I got to the office, when I noticed my rather “naked” wrist while washing my hands. I made a mental note to put the bracelet on once I got back to my desk, but forgot about it again since there was a pile of work screaming for my attention.

It was until after lunch when I finally remembered about my bracelet. I dug into my bag, but the bracelet was not where I had left it. I searched through all the components of my handbag, all my pockets, all my little pouches, and everywhere and anywhere that I could have possibly placed my precious bracelet, but it was nowhere to be found. I must have dropped it on my way to work. Perhaps it got hooked to my mobile phone and fell off when I took the phone out. I felt terrible. Like I’d lost a piece of me. I was angry with myself for being so careless.

I still have not found my bracelet, and probably never will again. It isn’t losing it that’s upset me, but rather what has happened to it that’s worrying me. I had the bracelet blessed by a priest, so that makes it a sacramental. I’m worried that someone will “mis-treat” or abuse it. I feel guilty of not taking good care of my bracelet, like I’ve let God down. But after some thought, perhaps I lost the bracelet for a reason. Perhaps someone who needs it more than I do will find it. I can only hope and pray that whoever comes across it will take good care of it for me.

Tags: Catholic, life, rant

I’m in a really bad mood this morning, so forgive me if I seem to be ranting.

What happened was this: I was supposed to submit a report for a group assignment to my lecturer and my “employer” (we were working as a virtual group in a “virtual company”, if you get what I mean). The instructions were to combine the various parts of the report into a SINGLE word document, which was exactly what I did. The problem is the university’s webmail portal kicked me out while I was sending the email. I tried a few more times, but I still got an error. I figured that my word document was too huge, so I compressed it into a RAR format, which was significantly smaller, and that managed to go through.

The next day I received a “return receipt” from an unknown address regarding the report. I check with my lecturer if the report has reached both her and my “virtual employer”. She said they have received it, multiple times.

All is well until yesterday, I receive emails from both the “virtual employer” and the lecturer saying that the file received was corrupted. I resend a compressed copy, complete with instructions on how to extract the file.

This morning, my “dear” lecturer sends me an email saying “Instructions are there for a reason. Please submit a SINGLE document containing all the parts of the report”. I’m pissed. I reply her, explaining that the word document has been archived in the RAR file which I submitted. I also tell her that the original word document was too large to be sent across via email. After that, I proceed to send her the original document anyway, just to prove that it will not go through, at the same time I promise to send it to her via my personal gmail if necessary.

As expected, the email went through, but with a corrupted copy of the original document. This somehow pisses off my lecturer who replies asking me to “get my act together”, and that what I did was not professional, etc. She insists on the word document, but I’ll have to figure out how to compress it to a “sendable” size.

Thanks teacher, for helping to “make my day”. Thanks a lot.

Tags: life, rant

I know I promised to do some podcast reviews in my coming posts, but this week has just been too terribly crazy. I have 2 assignments from 2 different 3rd-year university modules. Both due within a day of each other. Both requiring my full attention in research / development / documentation. Both TOO tough for my puny little simple mind. I’ve since submitted both, although I have a nagging feeling that I did not do a good job for either of them.

And just when I thought that I can take the rest of the week off to rest and relax a little, and adjust my time-table to a slightly more normal one, I discover that the next assignment for one of the modules I’m taking is due this Friday! More research, more reading, more stress!

Oh, and did I mention that I work as a software developer FULL-TIME?

Urgh!!!

So, no time for reviews this time. But I did update my side-bar gadget to show my “Top 15 Favorite Podcasts” instead of just the original Top 10. There are too many note-worthy podcasts out there that I like. I can foresee the list slowly and steadily growing longer and longer. BTW, the list is not sorted in any particular order.

Ok, that’s all for now. It’s time to head home for dinner followed by more research, reading, organizing thoughts, etc.

Tags: life, rant