Every school boy's dream

A must have for every school boy as well British secret agent: James Bond's Aston Martin DB5. Well I don't have the cash to get my hands on the real thing and most probably will never but at least I could get my hands on this which now sits handsomely beside my computer. Quite well built I must say but I would really like the Corgi toy version which I had when I was a kid. In the mean time, I'll just dream my life away.

 

 

 

 

Beefing up the Peugeot 407: Phase 2

Phase 1 of my Peugeot 407 upgrade was the complete package of third party bars to strengthen the chassis at strategic points. The torquey exhaust system represents Phase 2 of my Peugeot 407 upgrade. It consist of a 4-2-1 extractor, a mid and rear muffler, all customized from scratch because there was none off-the-shelf in the local automobile industry. The 4-2-1 rather than 4-1 version was preferred for torque rather than power. The more efficient release of the exhaust gas showed weakness in the stock mid muffler with an irritating resonance between 1,500-2,500 rpm. A  tougher custom stainless steel rear muffler was fabricated based on the size and design of the original mid muffler. This solved that issue but the irritating resonance shifted to the stock rear muffler. Again, a  tougher custom stainless steel rear muffler was fabricated based on the size and design of the original rear muffler and that put an end to the resonance issue. These modifications will definitely auto-calibrate the oxygen reading as suggested by the exhaust lamda and it usually requires a full petrol's tank consumption to normalize the car's response. Driving the car in the usual style as I do in town, I found I got better fuel consumption because I usually do 2 return trips to Kuala Lumpur and back in 1/8 tank but can now I can 3 return trips with the same 1/8 tank. All this means I should get better mileage if I were to use the car outstation. However, based on the fabricator's feedback and experience, he does not expect so because the improved performance will be too difficult to resist footing the accelerator pedal. 

Conclusion: Although the car is now more torquey, what I really like about the car now is a much smoother and quieter engine throughout the powerband making it a new pleasure to drive with  more grunt in the exhaust note when I floor the accelerator pedal.

My QGIS Training at Kemboja, 2014

A business-cum-pleasure all-expenses paid trip to Cambodia I enjoyed over 3 days from 13-15/11/2014. I was invited by the Royal University of Agriculture at Cambodia in cooperation with NGO GIZ of Germany to give a talk on "Quantum GIS and landuse planning in Malaysia". Wifey came along and it was a bit of a pre-wedding anniversary  as it is tomorrow. We stayed in the city in a cosy, intimate place called Anise Villa which we enjoyed because it did not have that typical hotel environment. As the first day was travelling day, we took time in the afternoon to visit the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum fairly close by and later to the Russian market also closeby by tuk-tuk, a popular term taken from Thailand. Much of our souvenirs were bought there but I suspect we were sitting ducks to the local sellers. At first, I thought I was alone but later wifey too said she felt the air within the buildings in the Genocide Museum tended to be on the heavy side. The next day, I spent the day at the University and gave my talk in the morning and joined in the hands-on topology cleaning during the workshop while wifey spent the day at the central market and made herself a tourist. We returned home on the third day on the 11.10 am flight. All in all I enjoyed it very much as this was our first visit to Cambodia. I went back with fond memories of patient Kembojans driving in their  hectic traffic jam and superb high-end Kembojan ice-creams....and wifey said just like the Siamese, we hardly saw any fat people around. 

Awana Hotel, Genting Highlands Official Retreat

Destination: Awana Hotel

Yet another meeting organized by my department, this time at Awana hotel, a subsidiary of Genting Resort located midway up Genting Highlands and fame for its golf course. It was held for 4 days and 3 nights from 29.9.2014-2.10.2014 so some heavy stuff was expected. Still, we had time to karaoke during the last night. Later, we were given a site visit and technical briefing on the construction of the 21st Century Fox theme park, the first outside USA scheduled to open in 2016. Food was delicious and the room very well provided and maintained. The Genting road is much wider than before and now has humps at all critical junctions. Going down the Genting road always gives me the creeps.

Nice view from 19th floor

Genting cable car

One World hotel

21st Century Fox theme park site 

Briefing on slope and embankment design, construction and monitoring

Look at the size of the piling holes

As winding as it gets

Grand Lexis , Port Dickson weekend retreat

Sabrina's birthday was just past round the corner and she got her birthday wish. Wifey took the whole family plus two of our nieces together for a weekend retreat at the Grand Lexis Resort, 2 km. north of Port Dickson town centre which is neighbour to the long established Glory Beach hotel. From the looks of it, I believe the nieces were enjoying the weekend holiday treat more than Sabrina. Well it does not matter because we are a closely knit family. For a 5 star hotel, the price of the food was reasonable, delicious and plentiful. The room was humongous with excellent facilities and you get what you paid for. All in all, an enjoyable weekend for the family as well as Sabrina.

Bitten by the flower bug

Under the shade of the high tension wire, wifey and me went to a nearby nursery as lately,  it appears as if wifey has been  bitten by the flower bug. The veranda which was usually bare short of two bicycles have become a pretty sight. I am hoping it will last that way forever.