Happy New Year....

Webster would like to wish all you our Muslim friends a Happy New Year. Yes, I am not going bonkers, it is the new year in the Muslim calendar on this 31 January. Based on the calendar we will be moving from 1419 Hijrah to 1420 Hijrah. Just to show that I know a thing or two, the Muslim calendar year starts on the event when the Prophet Muhammad traveled from Mecca to Madinah. So, happy new year Hijrah 1402 everyone.

Oh Yeah, btw, to all the Chinese fellas Happy Chinese new year too.

some observation...

In the old days ladies wore dresses that covers them from their necks to their toes
In the 20’s, they start exposing their ankles with skirts
Then 50’s their calf with shorter skirts
Then the 60’s and 70’s, more legs with mini skirts
Just when you thought that it will go higher and you’ll get some goodies, the focus is switched to the different end.
In 80’s to early 90’s lower necklines ala charlies’ 3 angels style
Then 90’s the, some slight improvement to the view courtesy from wonderbra*, we have irrigation (read longkang). In other words help to accentuate the longkang.
Then mid to late 90’s steer back to plunging necklines direction, we have the JLo’s curtain she called a dress. Btw, is it jlo or jlow?
Again just when we thought that it will plunge lower and we should be reaching the goodies, focus is again, switched.
This time to the other ‘other’ direction.
In the 80’s pants were work at the same level as the belly button, but not in 2000’s. the direction it to go south.
2000’s we have britney spears type low cut pants. Again we think we are back on the right direction – ie. to the goodies.
Post 2000’s we see again a shift of focus. This time to the back. More a**. In fact so much more that we are starting to see a second irrigation channel.

So with these knowledge in hand, one can only predict that in the near future, this new longkang will be the next in thing and another weapon of mass deception in the form of a wonder-a**-bra will be in the works. Which of course serves the purpose of accentuating that other longkang and thus deceive more innocent bystanders.

*the ultimate weapon of mass deception – bush should have forget abt iraq when he talked abt WMD.

mr & mrs webster's excellent adventure part two

OK Got some time today so can continue on the some more on the story.
Anyway, after the bad weather in Franz Jo, we checked out early the next day and started out trip to Queenstown. On the way we stopped by Fox Glacier. A bit different than franz Jo, but equally if not more impressive.

Fox glacier terminal face...

After fox, we continued to queenstown. Nice lake. Stayed there for a night but it rained the next day. Bummer. Almost got our shotover jet trip cancelled.

Queenstown from a very high place...

a bungee jumper...

these jokers will jump from anywhere they can build a ledge...

Stayed another night at queenstown and then left early the next day to te anau on the way to milford sound. The trip is very very nice. The big rock outcrops makes you feel like a hobbit sans the curly hair.

have to wait out side homer tunnel, so snap!

waiting outside homer tunnel...

After milford sound, drove back to te anau and spent a quiet night there. It was only there that the excellent speight old dark was discovered. The one drink that should not be missed.

milford sound...

there are waterfalls every where you look. the toilet was a welcome relief after i got off the boat...
From Te Anau, we drove to wanaka and overnighted there. Checked out the next day and visited museum of sorts that has lots of optical illusions.

From Wanaka it off straight to Mt Cook. Did some hiking and then spent a night there. very very nice. especially night time. can go out and see the stars.

mt. cook...

apparently a guide and 3 hikers died on their way up hiking mt cook a few days before we got there...

the valley overlooking mt. cook...Next day did some more hiking and then drive to the last destination, Christchurch.

tasman galcier valley...

Checked in into Christchurch YHA and spent the next day ronda ronda + buying souvenirs to appease the relatives.

Christchurch is named after this church...

check out the suspended house, btw, it's really there and not photochopped...

Next morning is check out and fly back home… end of journey.

Comes to think of it, it’s been fun recalling the trip, so probably I’ll do a day to day blow next time.

mr & mrs webster's excellent adventure part one

Recently a member in the photomalaysia forum went for a trip to new zealand and shared his wonderful photos of the trip.
After seeing the photos, the webster felt than maybe he should document his trip to NZ too. You know lah, saja nak show off.
So anyway, mr and mrs webster went to NZ for 14 days (3 march to 16 march) in 2005.
We did the-rent-own-car-and-drive-by-ourselves thing. You know lah, just so that we can bathe in the glory of being presumed as smart and daring when those ah ee from the market type start saying 'you not scared meh, you can find way meh, can do like that one meh, how u find your way leh dan bermacam macam lagi'.
To keep our cost down, we stayed in youth hostels. NZ has this wonderful hostel chain called YHA and have hostels all over. The rooms in the locations that we stayed at are clean and hospitable.
Our itenerary was something like this. We first flew in into auckland and picked up the rental car. Then just go for leisurely jalan jalan around auckland on first day. took a ferry over to devonport. nice quaint little town with nice looking houses. Manyak syok loh...

snap shot...

next day, woke up early and checked out fron the hostel and drove to Rotorua. Stopped by huka falls and a freaky place called craters of the moon. then checked in into rotorua yha.

Huka Falls...

Craters of the moon...
next day, went to the wai-o-tapu thermal park and see the 'geological wonders'.

wai-o-tapu...

after wai-o-tapu stopped by the mud pool and then drive back to auckland. More jalan jalan...

next day, take plane and fly to christchurch. at christchurch, picked up the rental car and head to the west coast through arthur's pass. stayed a night at arthur's pass. Too bad it was raining quite heavily, so cannot do anything. just stayed indoors.

Next day, just left early and drove down. first to greymouth and then took a detour to punakaiki (sounds like a vulgar word) to see the interestiung formation called the pancake rocks.

punakaiki, i still have problem mentioning this name with a straight face...

pancake rocks, look more like layer cake to me...

then drive back to greymouth and then on to franz josef. reached there in the evening, but since it is still bright, hiked into the galcier valley. went all the way to the terminal face. wah! technical term loh. but basically it just means the point when the glacier ends.

franz josef... Franz jo's terminal face...
after franz josef hike, went back to the cheery yha hostel. it rained the whole day the next day. so cannot do anything - again. Wanna check out fox glacier also cannot, drive to lake mattheson also didn't see anything, but all is not lost, mrs webster's ingenuity ensures that we were entertained.

i think for now cukup oredi lah. will write some more next time. maybe will write a day to day journal thing when i have more time.

gmail

signed up with gmail today.
wheeeee! 2+ gigs of space!

weekend of numbnuts

Last weekend must have been a week full of numb nuts.
Saturday morning itself was already a let down. Woke up to a rainy morning and that is already enough to spoil my cycling plans. Then when I read the morning papers, I saw this story of this first numb nut. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/1/7/nation/13051018&sec=nation . Fast forward to Sunday morning and saw this other story on this other numb nut http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/1/8/nation/13059112&sec=nation. And like wiping your ass after some quality time on the throne, this came out in today’s papers http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/1/9/nation/13062120&sec=nation.

My point is, isn’t this defeating the purpose? To my understanding, the reason the contest was organize if for the readers to win some money. I have no issue with that, I mean there is no wrong in a little contest. News papers are supposed to be bought to be read. It is what the name imply NEWS paper. So why do people need to buy 200 copies of it? Are they going to be reading the news 200 times? Even if so, can’t this numb nut read the same paper? And the shameful thing is the Star is cashing in on that. Might as well rename the newspaper to Contestpaper.
So, if morons are morons and wanna be morons, why should I bother? Main reason is Wastage. Imaging buying a 50plus page stack of printed paper just for that single page of contest form.
That is wastage, but the thing that strike me most is the lame reason that people give. If it is a spade call it a spade, and if it is an a** then call it an a**.
Exhibit 1: The joker in this one http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/1/7/nation/13051018&sec=nation quoted “I've made several attempts on the weekly contests but still have no luck. I guess Malaysians are the same, a bit kiasu when it comes to things like this. To me, buying numerous copies is a sort of investment and still a lot better than gambling,” . My first point is, if you are a moron, don’t assume that everyone is a moron, just like if you are a kiasu, don’t expect everyone is kiasu. Please!
But to me the crowning glory of the numb nutness of that comment is that he view this as an investment and that it is better than gambling. Duh! Riddle me this, what kind of an investment it is to buy a commodity that you know for sure will lose it’s value but the next day? Buying poop to make fertilizers makes more sense than this. I am really interested to look at this guy’s portfolio so that I know what stocks to stay clear of. Come on lah. It is clear as day and night that this is gambling. If you are doing it then at least find the nuts to admit it.

The scary thing is this is not one discrete case. The Sunday and Monday’s article is no different. Another 200 copies and numerous people with multiple copies.

I do really hope that the Star do something about this in the future. We already have enough kiasu, don’t encourage them.

the differance...

i realized some time ago that the differance between men and women are that while women exchange pleasantries when they meet, men exchange grunts.
When women meet each other they will ask about how are you, you look great, how are this and that yada yada yada
but when men see each other they will mumble out barely audible hi, or good mornings that sounded more like grunts. you know, those noise that bulls make when thet are busy humping a cow...
then again, that's just me...

the one about football club names

Wah so long never wirte oredi. Sudah hilang semangat kah???
Anyway, the Webster had to go to a meeting in the building where my previous department used to be in.
I was there early and the meeting room is still occupied, so, tumpang at an old colleague’s cubicle first loh.
Saw this English football club banner in the cube. Must be one of those football supporter people lah.
Then I came to realize that some of those English league football clubs who do well have something oddly in common in their names. Seem like the club that does well have some sort of body part hidden in their names. Case and point Liver-pool (liver) and then there is Manchester United (Man-Chest-ter / chest?) coincidence? Conspiracy theory? You be the judge.
But all in all I think the most creative name has really got to go to Arse-nal….