Danger 5 Trailer

I'll just leave this here.



The trailer for Danger 5, an Aussie TV series.

The First Hundred Days

I thought I'd take a break in the midst of my exams to write a few words about my first hundred days in Australia.

Actually, it's been 115 days since my arrival on the 8th of February but I've never been happier.  Of all the major events in my life, coming to Australia to study has been one of the easiest transitions I've experienced.  And in the process, I've become less cynical and more optimistic.

Sometimes, it pays to leave your comfort zone.  Humanity progressed this far as a species by doing just that.  Also, be nice to immigrants, migration is to humans as water is to plants.  I am not that far removed from my migrant forefathers.

Three square meals a day is a privilege.  I realize that more than ever now that I have to buy and cook my own meals.  I take back every complaint I've ever had about SAF cook-house food and combat rations.  I should be grateful that even in the middle of a tropical rain forest, I have something to eat.

Being homesick is a waste of time.  Just thought I'll mention that.  I've never once felt homesick, just sick of listening to people moan and groan about being homesick.  Not eating rice regularly is NOT the end of the world.  When in Rome, do as the Romans do.  And eat as they eat.

Campus Shots

It's been a while since I posted anything as I've been busy with assignments.  Here's some photos of my campus.

BUNDY!!!!!

When I saw this, I just had to take a picture of it for CatnRice's benefit. Now to run for cover...

Edit! (11/04/10):



New flavour!

When The Cold Wind Blows...

As I am typing this, Tropical Cyclone Ului is making landfall on the coast of Central Queensland, about 700 km north of Brisbane. Here's a link to the radar image.

In case you are wondering, a cyclone is what is otherwise known as typhoons or hurricanes in other parts of the world.

I wonder if it's going to move south?

The Picket Line And The Guy That Chased All The Snakes Out Of Ireland

I have some new photos for you guys.


This is a protest that took place this week at the entrance to my campus. A bunch of public employees were not happy with the Queensland State Government about something.



This is a Saint Patrick's celebration that took place today, also on campus.


Another shot of the festivities.

In case you are wondering, Saint Patrick was the guy that, according to legend, banished all snakes from Ireland. Yes, there are no snakes native to Ireland, but the Irish would probably argue that they have something worse, the English.

New Tech on the Horizon

Last week I attended the Atomic Power to the PC Tour on campus. It is a mini exhibition organized by Atomic magazine and various manufacturers in the PC industry for the purpose of showing off their new products. Here's some stuff I found interesting.

Gigabyte will be launching motherboards with USB 3.0 support. Speeds of up to 5Gbps are possible, if their powerpoint slides are to be believed. Still, even half that would be impressive. They also promise 3 times the power of USB 2.0, that means just one USB plug would suffice to power your device.
Gigabyte USB 3.0 website

Samsung's contribution is not that new, since it was announced in the US last year but it still is pretty interesting. Samsung, in partnership with Nvidia, have produced 22-inch 3D LCD monitor. 3D goggles will come bundled with a compatible Nvidia graphics card. According to the Samsung marketing guy, "once you go 3D, you won't go back(to 2D)".
Samsung Press Release

The high point of this event was the free pizza. Never one to turn down free food, I gorged myself silly. Google is coming to our campus next week and they also have free pizza. No prizes for guessing whether I'll attend.

Reference for AUS road trip

Some information if you are interested in doing a road trip in AUS.

Australia Road Trip Recommendations

Mad Penguin's Day Off

Here's some photos I took last Sunday (21st Feb).


This is the view from a balcony on the campus next to my accommodation. Hard to tell from this photo but it is perched on a hill overlooking surrounding suburbs.


This is the Bus Way Station nearby with bus services to the city center. In Australia, a Bus Way is a road for the exclusive use of buses, leading from the suburbs right into the heart of the city. As you can imagine, taking a bus during rush hour means bypassing rush hour traffic. I would imagine this concept would be useful back home except for the fact that we can't spare the space.


This is Brisbane City Hall in King George Square.


Another view of City Hall.

Aussie School Answering Machine

The Four Corners....

...of my room.

The closet.

Bed.

Desk.

Shelving.

Entrance to my room.

Shared kitchen.

Sitting room.

Not too shabby, ehh? And as it turns out, the apartment is within range of the campus wireless network, so no need to spend money on an internet plan. Score!

The Penguin Has Landed.

To mark my arrival in Oz, here's Land Down Under by Men At Work.