Gravity Master

Found this puzzle game from the internet, very similar to Crayon Physics. You can play it here or just go to their webpage to play on the bigger screen.

Autumnal Equinox

Today officially the autumnal equinox. It mean the centre of sun is at same plane as the Earth's equator.

The term equinox is derived from two Latin words, aequus (equal) and nox (night). From the word its mean the day and night is equally long, which actually no very true. The day when the day and night is equally long is called equilux, which actually very near to equinox.

Equinox usually occur around 22/23 September, however it may happen on 24th September. It occurred once in year 1931 and it will occur again in year 2303. So most of us will miss both of the occurrence.

Apart of that what equinox mean?

For Chinese, autumnal equinox usually happen around Mid-Autumn festival, which is yesterday. But due to the lunar calendar is using slightly different calculation, therefore Mid-Autumn festival will usually celebrate between mid September and early October. But some of the countries define autumnal equinox as the beginning of autumn.

Anyway, for me, it mean I have about 3 months before the new year is reached. Autumn always consider as the harvesting season and keep the food for the coming winter. I should start doing that also.

A Chinese poem that you must know during Mid Autumn

One of the best poem written about 1000 years ago by Su Tung Po during the Mid Autumn festival.

明月几时有？把酒问青天。不知天上宫阙，今夕是何年。

我欲乘风归去，又恐琼楼玉宇，高处不胜寒, 起舞弄清影，何似在人间。

转朱阁，抵绮户，照无眠。不应有恨，何事偏向别时圆。 

人有悲欢离合，月有阴晴圆缺，此事古难全。 但愿人长久，千里共婵娟。

I found an English translation by Shun-Yi Lee for those that do not understand Chinese.

When will the moon be clear and bright?
With a cup of wine in my hand, I ask the blue sky.
I don't know what season it would be in the heavens on this night. 

I'd like to ride the wind to fly home,
Yet I fear the crystal and jade mansions are much too high and cold for me.
Dancing with my moon-lit shadow,
It does not seem like the human world.

The moon rounds the red mansion,
Stoops to silk-pad doors,
Shines upon the sleepless.
Bearing no grudge,
Why does the moon tend to be full when people are apart?

People may have sorrow or joy, be near or far apart,
The moon may be dim or bright, wax or wane,
This has been going on since the beginning of time.
May we all be blessed with longevity,
Though far apart, we are still able to share the beauty of the moon together.

It's Mid Autumn today, although I didn't really celebrate this festival, but I wish I can have a cup of tea with my wife and watch the moon together.

Happy Mid Autumn to everyone.

A quick puzzle

Move only one of these digits to make this equation valid.

26 - 63 = 1

I'll miss the rain

Today is my second day in the desert. Ya, I'm back to this desert after almost a month stay at Bolehland. I miss the cool weather and also rainy day.

Will be at the desert for a month and I hope this time no extension cause I believe this stupid project will not end so soon, at least not before the new year. Thing move slow and everyday need to face to those con-men and jokers that shaking their head while telling you no problem. So, you can't understand whether they are telling you no problem or got problem. I strongly believe they mean "we got problem with your instruction, since you can't understand my body language and you are happy when you see me shaking my head while telling you no problem, therefore we continue to cheer you with this method".

I can't see how to end my job here, maybe I should start pulling the cable myself, I may end it faster than these buggers.

Tomorrow is Bolehland day, I wish I'm there to celebrate it. No matter how stupid is our government, how dark is the politic, Bolehland still my home, it's a wonderful country to stay.

I start to miss the rain and my lovely wife.

It's a touching week

I saw them sleeping calmly, they are so sweet :_)

Congratulation to Chin and Sally, their hard work to bring the cute baby girl and baby boy to this world.

Say NO to facebook's games

When I first started my FB, it's because of FB's game. That time, my apprentice, JJ ask me to play the FB's game (can't really remember what is the name). But I abandon that game after 2-3 weeks because that time FB's games is only text base.

But, it doesn't stop there.

FB's games become more and more interactive and animated. I'm try to stop myself getting involve in any of the games. But too bad that no matter how careful I am, I'm started 2 games. I start social city because of my natural enemy, the super planner asking me to become his neighbour in order for him to expand his city; and the second games is the cafe world due to my sister asking me sending her gift.

For social city, I'm still playing it but not very intensive. Just spend few minute every morning to click on the stupid building. I don't play cafe world, but my wife did -.- She is poisoned.

Initially, it is quite fun to click and build something, but I found it become a very stupid game that what you only need to do is repeating clicking on icon and wait. Repeat and repeat everyday clicking on the same item.

I believe not only me, there are lots of victim out there wasting most their time clicking on the icon everyday. There is nothing gain from these games except they actually let you kill most of your time waiting and clicking. Some become addicted to all these games.

I personally hate these games, they are not difficult to play, they just try to consume your time. Wait for the time to pass in order to click on it again. Totally meaningless.

Anyway, if these games let you calm down yourself or you learn something from it, you may continue it, but personally I really doubt that.

But basically, not only the FB's games, FB itself is kill most of our time, but we just can't get rid of it. So, personally advice, FB when you have spare time and please say NO to FB's games.

My diving trip

The story started when I visited the aquarium at Atlantis Dubai. I was thinking instead of watching these fish behind the glass, I want to see and touch with my own hand. So, I’ve planned to lean diving.

The main reason that leads me to this decision is that I want to conquer my fear on water. Ya, I’m hydrophobia, a very serious one. I never swim in the swimming pool before although I was thinking to do that long time ago. So, I 100% can’t swim. I’m afraid of height also. Last time when I went to Perhentian for snorkeling, I was scared by the depth of the ocean and lucky I can catch on someone before I panic. So, diving is definitely something I will never think of in my life until recently.

Some of my colleagues join this trip, lucky. Cheong, the master swimmer, Huan, JJ and his brother. All of them can swim and none are hydrophobia, only me is the problem one :s

We go to Mersing by bus from Bukit Jalil on Thusday night and we arrive at Mersing bus station around 4am in the morning. Very sleepy and we need to wait until 7.30am to take the first ferry to the Tioman Island. It took about 2 hours from Mersing jetty to Tioman Island.

Mersing jetty in the early morning

When we reached the island, I saw my sensei. Ya, she is a Japanese.

The first session is relatively easy. The class room section. After the class room session, we went to pool and I start to fight with my fear :s

The pool is relatively shallow, I can stand inside the pool, but once I wear my mask and put my head into the water :s I found that I can’t breathe! I spent few minutes to hypnosis myself that I can breathe using my mouth and there is plenty of oxygen in the tank. And finally, I manage to end my pool session successfully.

After having lunch, we went to beach and start diving from the swallow side and went into the deep sea. Ok, first time I put myself 5m under the water. I know I’m in panic mode cause I breathe very fast. And to control my buoyancy is not an easy job. I either sink onto the bottom on the sea or I float to the surface. So I was caught by me sensei together with Huan -.-

the divers and the sensei

shallow dive

Ok, don’t take me wrong, I not purposely one. I really can’t control my buoyancy.

The shallow sea diving is relatively easy and I’m continue to hypnosis myself for tomorrow session, the boat jumping session :s, god please give me strength.

evening view

Sleeping in a very cheap diver lounge is not easy when you need to sleep with mosquito.    

Breakfast session

So, the second day is a nightmare for me cause I need to jump from the boat into the sea :s

The first jump is called the giant stride, where you stand at the behind of the boat with all your equipment on and make a big walk and let yourself fall down into the sea :s Lucky I manage to do that with lots of fear. Saw some corals and fish. We dived into about 14m depth.

The second jump is called the back roll where you sit beside the boat with all your equipments on and “sleep” and fall into the sea. This is less scary since you don’t see the sea and you just pretend that you are sleeping onto the bed.

And the last jump is after lunch at the marine park. The water visibility is very low. Although the dept is shallow, about 8m, but the visibility really scares me. Accidentally my weight belt loosed and I drop 2 pieces of my weight into the sea. Lucky JJ and his brother help me to get it back.

So, finally I get my diving license ^^ but the instructor keep on remind me that I need more practices. So, I decided to learn swimming before I go to take the advance open water.

We stayed at Tioman for extra day and Huan, JJ and his brother went to extra diving by their own cost. I believe these 3 guys will be addicted to this game. I will definitely dive again but before that I really need to learn swimming at least learn how to float.

Small island in front of Tekek village

I'll be back

If you are interested to learn diving, you may use the following web for enquiry.