Entries from December 2006 ↓

If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

If you’re experiencing slow internet speeds, don’t pick up the phone and call TMNET just yet. It’s not their fault! (for once…)

Cable faults due to Ricther 7.1 earthquake in Taiwan is the cause of the crawling internet speeds. Major cable problems at APCN2 S7 (Asia Pacific Cable Network 2, Segment S7) between Shantou-Tanshui at 00:07hr today, has resulted in congested international links to Malaysia, Japan, Korea and Hong Kong.

APCN2 is the longest international seabed fibre cable network, 19,000km in total length, in the Asia-Pacific, linking China, Japan, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and onward to linking America, Europe and Australia. The network went into operation in October 2002 for the initial phase.

The project was spearheaded by 26 telecommunications companies, namely Advantel, Cable & Wireless Global Network, Cable&Wireless HKT, China Telecom, China Unicom, Chunghwa Telecom, Concert, Global Network Services, Global One, Japan Telecom, KDD Corpe ration, Korea Telecom, KPN, Layer 2, MCI, WorldCom, Metromedia Giber Network Service, NTT Com, NCIC, OneLink Cable Network, PLDT, StarHub, SingTel, Taiwan Fixed Network, Teleglobe, Telekom Malaysia, Telstra and Williams Communications.

Affected overseas sites includes Google, blog sites like Wordpress and Blogger as well instant messaging services like MSN and Yahoo! Messenger. I am experiencing major slowdowns with my US-based web and mail host Itsamac.com as well. Fortunately, I have a local-based web/mail host (with Emerge) as an alternate communication channel. Google is useable, but painfully slow at the moment.

It may take up to 3 weeks before everything gets back to normal, so till then, there may not be any updates to this blog.

My heart goes out to the Taiwan quake victims, who have their lives to worry about, much more that internet speeds alone.

I think I’ve been really good this year. Santa listened, and was generous :). It’s first time ever that I actually got a couple of things off my wishlist I published on The v.Blog, unashamedly. I started this wishlist thing since 2003, and this year has so far been the best! 3 out of 10 ain’t bad, and not the cheap ones too. And not to sound materialistic really. Very unexpected, so I am completely, pleasantly surprised and thankful.

A couple of days before Christmas, my boo J had surprised me with an iPod Shuffle, something I had wanted for my gym workout. I had told her earlier not to spend too much money on gifts this year, as I had booked a spa package for the both of us, as our little ‘present’ for Christmas. Being the stubborn, sweet thing is, she didn’t listen. I got her a little surprise too.

Anyways, Christmas Eve dinner is traditionally held at my parent’s house, with usually quite a big crowd of close relatives. But this year was at a different venue. My first cousin’s 2 million ringgit bungalow was ready and it was an apt venue for both house-warming and Christmas dinner. I was blown away at the self-designed house, contemporary, open and cool! I’d love to have a house like that. Beautiful. My cousin’s wife is an architect by profession, and this house took 10 years to build, thre-quarter of that due to financial constraints and a runaway unscrupulous contractors. But what a beauty. Shame I do not have any pics to show, but heck, you’ll probably see it in architecture magazines.

Dinner was fabulous although it wasn’t as big a crowd as it was last year (which was around 40 pax! I know, I have a big family). Food was superb, with a 12-kilo stuffed turkey, my famous mash potato that I had made in the early evening, roast lamb, pasta, lasagne, fruit and green salad…the works. And a kick-ass chocolate brownie that my aunt made. I had three rounds of it, and I felt like a stuffed turkey. Oh by the way, I broke my meat fast. Just for Christmas. Didn’t have any red meat though, just the turkey.

We broke the gluttony with some sing-along, with my cousin’s wife at the piano. We had lots of fun. The kids were enjoying it too, with my bro Vince and I making a monkey of ourselves throughout. One of my little nieces, Edel, entertained us with her antics - dancing and singing. Her dad told us she’s his toy, always the exhibitionist and entertainer amongst her siblings. She’s adorable and she’s only three years old.

At around 11pm we made our way home. We couldn’t wait to open our presents at the stroke of midnight. Stan, my race partner and team manager, paid us a visit and joined in the celebrations. Present wrappers and ribbons flew, huggies and kisses were passed all round. It was a happy, happy time. I was really caught by surprise when I got a pair of fireproof Sparco racing gloves and a Sparco balaclava! Man, I’m so gonna win next year! Thanks Vince, Jo, and mom and dad! My mom also gave me a Tucano screen and keyboard protector for my iMac Intel, which I have been wanting to buy for myself.

By the time we got through all the presents, it was past 1am. What a Christmas. It came and went, but I think this Christmas had lots of cheer, love and passion. I pray that all Christmases from now on will be like this.

HOHOHO! Merry Xmas once again. And have a fabulous 2007!