The Craftsman’s Forge

Finally!!!! Skype for Mac is finally inbued with the capability for video! What a super long wait it has been.

When I first bought my iMac back in September 2005, I also bought the coolest camera you will ever get on the planet, the one and only iSight. Except that it had a serious impediment…..it can only work with fellow Mac users using either ichat or obscure Mac IM softwares. There was no mainstream IM software out there which supported both Mac and Windows.

This meant that I could only use my cool iSight with fellow Mac users. The huge problem with this was… I knew no one else using a Mac who also had an iSight! I ended up having a S$200 state of the art iSight camera which I was not able to use. (This of course, was still before the days of iMacs, Macbooks and MacBook Pros with in-built iSights.

The only way to use iSight with Windows users was to literally use Skype for audio, and Yahoo Messenger for video. A really cumbersome and totally unelegant way to collaborating with friends on the Internet. It meant that your buddies will need to be on both Skype and Yahoo at the same time. I decided to ditch it, and leave my iSight alone.

My iSight was literally collecting dust in the last 10 months.

Last week, I finally couldn’t take it anymore, and decided to start thinking about how I can sell off my iSight. I began researching around a little more seriously last night, and chanced on Skype’s new updated software for Macs!

The good people at Skype have finally taken notice of the small Mac community! Ha! Skype released version 1.5.0.52 of their Skype for Mac with Video!

I promptly downloaded the new Skype version 1.5.0.52, and was literally up in minutes with the new video capabilities. It simply Just Worked! I’m now able to video Skype between my Thinkpad and my home iMac. This is a great boon for the days when I am travelling, and my family are at home. This will make it so much simpler for me and my family to see each other!

Thanks so much Skype!!!!!!!!

I’m after the Bluetooth Mighty Mouse next!!!!

Technorati Tags: Singapore, iSight, Mac, Apple, Skype, Skype Video, Craftsman

I’m sitting now in row 33D onboard SQ974 enroute to Bangkok. The flight is 3/4 full, and I hope I have a pleasant flight.

I intend to be working on a presentation but I’m pretty certain that no stewardess would be pouting at me this time round, as the economy variety of stewardesses are just simply not trained to pout at your pleasure. Although one was staring at me until I returned her stare, where she broke into a wide smile. Is it just me?

Through my approximately 4 months of flying experience thus far, I can unequivocally state that the newbies are all posted to the economy section. They are definitely a grade up from the normal variety of waiters and waiteresses in most restaurants, but are sadly not within the expert grasp of the more seasoned and sociable stewardesses in Business and First class.

With standing policy that dictates economy class for flights no longer than 7 hours, it certainly looks like i have to make friends with my economy baggages.

My God. I just realised how snobbish I sounded in that previous statement. Having been on Business class really spoils you. Bah! I have to go back to eating foil wapped rations. Having said that, I should be thankful we don’t have a policy for travelling budget! Ha ha ha ha

With the constant travelling, I really treasure all the time I have with my family. I appreciate the fact that I have control over when I fly and how long I stay overseas. I’m also thankful that I have a good boss who also shares my views on spending quality time with the family.

I managed to get back home by 6pm on Friday, and spent a really nice time with my family on Friday night. Saturday morning was spent at the zoo, and we headed out for the kid’s swimming lessons in the afternoon.

It was Ariel’s first lesson,as she was sick last week. I think she did well though.

Before church this morning, we headed out to Bukit Panjang Plaza to have breakfast at the Cafe Cartel outlet there. The kids loved it!

Technorati Tags: Singapore, Family, Breakfast, Cafe cartel, Craftsman

It’s Sunday again, and boyyyy…it is difficult getting to church. No, I’m not refering to getting up, showering the kids or preparing the clothes and bottles for the children.

I’m refering more to myself. Sending the children to Sunday school is easy enough. It’s when I have to make the choice to head to the sanctuary for service after putting the kids to Sunday school that is difficult.

I don’t know why I’m feeling this way…maybe it’s just a sense of epathy about most things around me, including God. I just want to laze around, read a nice book or catch up on sleep.

But, I know it is important to get my ass to church, so after a little nagging from Chris (who is taking care of Elkan in infant care this week), I picked up my ass and headed to the third floor sanctuary entrance.

It’s Pastor Edmund speaking today. He’s an excellent bible expositor, and is the key reason why we made the decision on settling down in Covenant. He makes the dry-est topics in the bible come alive, so I am thankful that its him speaking today. I think I need a little spiritual “perk me up”.

I also wonder sometimes if my general epathy is due to my work and almost incessant travelling around the region for my work. Whatever the reason, I know that this is something I need to nail to the cross, so that I begin enjoying God again.

Greetings from 36,000 feet in the air. I’m now flying over Queensland, Australia, just over Mount Isa, according to the onboard GPS system. I’m trying to get some work done, while at the same time do a little surfing and blogging as well.

The stewardesses are at it again, giving me the pout when I tell them I wanna work. Do I have the face that says “Give me a pout?” I don’t understand it at all. When I told her that she was the second one giving me the pout, she cheekily mentioned that while at her interview, she was asked to pout many times to see if she could placate passengers. Ha ha ha…

I can’t wait to see Chris and the kids. I miss them, even though its only been 3 and a half days. Sigh… I don’t even want to think about my trip to Bangkok next Monday evening.

Back to the topic of Connexion on the Megatop, lucky thing the stewardess got me a spare power adaptor, so that I can continue using my laptop on the plane. So, I’m connected via Connexion, and skyping and e-mailing away merrily. The bandwidth isn’t good enough for voice on Skype though.

Technorati Tags: Singapore, Sydney, Connexion, Megatop, Craftsman

We left the hotel this morning at about 8:15am giving ourselves about an hour to get to the airport, since it’s rush hour. But, it seems like we over-estimated the Australian traffic, and arrived at the airport in a blazing time of less than 30 minutes!

Being early has consequences…. We’re now kinda stuck in the lounge doing nothing. Just completed reading yesterday’s Straits Times, and am now on the Internet blogging.

I’ve also been quite unlucky, as I broke my traveler power adaptor last night as I tried to get it adjusted with the Australian angled power points. I’m now left without an adaptor, and less than 50% of power left on my laptop. I hope the plane has a spare adaptor I can borrow, or I wouldn’t be able to get work done on the plane.

But then again, it could be a good thing. I worked for about 4.5 hours on my way here from Singapore the other day, and the Leading Stewardess who was serving us kept bugging me to stop working and start enjoying myself. I was giving it some thought until she gave me a pout, and I had to obediently stop the use of my laptop.

These stewardess are pretty good at making you feel guilty.

I hope the plane has connexion, so that I can get Internet access, and squeeze out the last drops of power on my machine. Might even do a little blogging. I noted that Mr. Brown and Mr. Miyagi had done a short blog post on Connexion as well. But rememebr that you saw me blogging 30,000 feet in the iar on SIA connexion first in May 2006, ok? Ha ha!

Technorati Tags: Singapore, Sydeny, Craftsman

SH and AC brought ML, EC and myself out to Manly beach for dinner this evening. The place was extremely nice, and sits in a lone one storey building overlooking Manly beach. It reminded me of the Blue Duck Cafe at Cottlesloe in Perth.

The food was good as well. While the rest of the guys went for mostly standard fare, I decided to order fillet of emu with mushrooms and potatoes on the side. It was excellent, to say the least!

We just got back, and its back to work on the computer. Got all of my work done in the office in the last two days, and decided to try and get myself on an earlier flight back home ot Singapore. I’m flying back tomorrow on the 11:30am flight. Yeah!!!! I get to reach home by 6pm!

Technorati Tags: Singapore, Sydeny, Craftsman

Would you believe it? I forgot my camera!

I went out for dinner with EC this evening. We headed out to China Town, and lo and behold…. the place is quite alive at 7pm. Certainly more alive than the rest of Sydney. The rest of the city is just dead. Completely dead.

Technorati Tags: Singapore, Sydeny, Craftsman

Its 9pm, and I’m here in Sydney. The flight was pretty ok, but I felt a strange stomach queziness throughout. I’m still feeling a little funny in my stomach, and have opted to just buy a quick chinese take away.

Will be here for the next 4 days before flying back on Friday afternoon.

Oh!!! one thing before I forget!!!! I met Peggy from my previous work place in the boarding gate! Found out that she was on her way to Sydney for a conference! Wah… so nice!

I had a quick chat with her before we went to our own seats. Its nice knowing someone you know is on the same flight as you are on.

Its gonna be another 4 days away from home.

This time, I’m flying down to Sydney for a couple of days to finalise some details with our Australian office and our IT vendors. The negotiations have been quite long going, but it would be really sweet when we’re done with it.

But…enough about work. Elkan and Ariel have recovered from their flu, and were back to their cheeky and naughty selves. Sigh….. sometimes I really wonder….. If it would be better to have them not feeling so well, and be quiet, or be well again and be jumping all over me, trying out their “Pile-Driver” moves they see on TV. Ha ha ha.. I try and banish those thoughts as quickly as possible though.

Last Saturday, while Ariel and Elkan were still down with flu, I brought Kyla to Safra Yishun Country Club for her very first swimming lesson. Although she was throwing up a real tantrum in the beginning, she began to calm down soon after she met her instructor. Of course, it helped that her two cousins were also in the same class as her. Within 5 minutes, she was really enjoying herself!

After her lesson, I bought her a cup of buttered popcorn. This has always been true. After swimming, you always get damn hungry. She kept clamouring me to bring her for her swimming lessons again next Saturday. I hope Ariel will take to the lessons as well as her sister.

Sigh… I’m already looking forward to coming back home to them….and I’m not even out of Changi yet! (This is a real sign that you’re really sick of flying! ha ha ha ha ha)