ibook is finally updated.

For the 12"

1.33GHz PowerPC G4
512K L2 cache @1.33GHz
512MB memory (DDR333 SDRAM)
12.1-inch TFT Display
1024x768 resolution
ATI Mobility Radeon 9550
32MB DDR video memory
40GB Ultra ATA hard drive
Combo Drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW)
Built-in AirPort Extreme
Built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
Scrolling Trackpad
Sudden Motion Sensor

All gibberish to the non-initatied :D .. which includes me but when you have been waiting for the past two months for the update, it's all heavenly words.

Most importantly, there is an increase in memory, speed, hard drive, and built in Bluetooth. hahaha .. i am going to order mine tomorrow!!

Nice?

Okay ... so i started this last night while waiting for America's Next Top Model to start (which btw is rather too drama mama this season). And I thought I can easily complete in 10 mins and then post it on the blog but somehow, it seems to more difficult to paste a flash file in the blog entry.

So this has somehow turned into another adventure into the ugly world of html coding and the unfortunate exercise of trial and error (I am beginning to think that it is actually and exercise in Futility but anyway...). I think I have finally got the correct html codes to input the flash file in the entry. So here it is:



Nice??

Can it be?!?!?!

Its finally here ... (Handel's MESSIAH playing in the background!!!!)

Steve Jobs has finally decided to update the ibook (according to the rumor mills of the Apple community). To quote the report from thinksecret.com:

July 19, 2005 - Reliable sources have confirmed that Apple's consumer laptop will receive a long overdue refresh very soon, possibly as early as later today.

Details on the updated iBook are unknown, however, although multiple unconfirmed tips have indicated that a long-rumored widescreen iBook may finally come to light with the new iBook.

So Excited!!!!

Let's see in about 7 hours (US Tuesday Morning)
______________________

Edited - 22 July 2005

Okay. My Bad... The ibook was not updated this week. BUT... the signs point to an update next Tuesday. All the apple sites are buzzing with the rumors.

And the Apple Store for Singapore has changed their delivery time from "same business day" to 3-5 days. And, ahem, 3 days from today is ... (drum roll please ...) TUESDAY!! This day is significant as it (apparantly, according to the pp in the mac forums, Tuesdays are the day that Apple gives updates to their products.).

So fingers crossed!!

I think I bombed in my interview

I went for my interview at the MFA yesterday. The funny thing is that they put you in a room before meeting the panel. I think it was suppose to calm you cos there is a lot of plush sofas and books. But the annoying thing was the elevator music that was piped into the room. AND IT WAS ON REPEAT!! How is a person suppose to concentrate with the "Sounds of the Forest" rendition of Pachebel's Canon playing in the background. I am sure that it was not intentional but the music does add stress to the candidate. ("All the better to soften them up for the kill" ... hahaha).

So anyway, I think that I bombed. They were asking questions like:
- What is the challenge for Singapore and Malaysia's relationship, given the assumption of their interdependency?
- What are the challenges for Singapore and Malaysia and the policy response for Singapore?
- same for Indonesia and Singapore.
- Does the Doha Round have any relevance to Singapore?
- Is Singapore's strategy in bilateral trade agreement good?

These I fumbled along and gave answers that are generic and non-comittal. And somehow, I ended up mentioning "International Trade and Openness" in a lot of my answers. I sounded like some Free Trade Liberal activist.

And then the other generic questions:
- Why did you go o/s?
- Why did you do your masters?
- What boooks / journal do you read besides the Straits Times, CNA ...?

These I could handle. Basically, it was blah blah blah about exposure and wanting to learn more and "I read the Economist". But the last answer backfired when he (Director of SEA) asked "So what books do you read?". Blink Blink ... The most recent book I read was a compendium of the SWORD OF SHANNARA series. Definitely not the type of book that can help in Singapore's foreign policy. UNless, Singapore is under attack by the evil Warlock King and they are in need of the Sword of Shannara to SAVE THE DAY. But I doubt that.

So comes the crux: "Since you are only graduating in Dec, you cannot start now right?" RIGHT!! So when I graduate in Dec, then I will be considered again for the position vis-a-vis the future Dec batch of candidates. Ie. DON'T CALL US. WE'LL CALL YOU!!!

The good thing about the interview is that it was only 30 mins long. And I got to watch SIN CITY with Nimales after that and I had a Banana Spilt from Dome (I finished it all by myself :D He had a Nuts and Oats Sundae - the green tea ice cream was good too). The show is good. Every looks either menancing or hot or weird. Which is how the comic book was. And the cinematography was excellent. Very Interesting filming style. And I love the Black and White and some random colours to accentuate. Go and catch it. You definitely will not watch something like in a while. Escape from the lame and the mundane.

30 Minutes and counting

I have 30 more minutes till I leave the office and go for my interview. And then it will be a 30 minutes bus ride and another 5-10 minute walk into Minden Road and I will be sitting in front of the "Final Selection Panel". How intimidating. So freaked out!! And yet I told myself that I would not be nervous, I would not be freaked out. I told myself that even if I dont get this job, it's no biggie. I told myself that I may not even accept the job if I get it, so what's the big deal. But somehow it is not working. My heart is pounding and I am feeling dehydrated but I wanna go PEE!!!

I prepared for this interview:
- What is you greatest goal?
- What do you want to achieve in the future?
- Why did you want to join the ministry?
And on and on ... I just hope that I don't clam up during the interview. I also hope that they are not mean to me or don't employ the "I am mean to you so let's see how he respond" type of interview style.

I decided that I should blog about this and get it out. But it doesn't seem to be working. I am still feeling shitty.

The plus side is that I will be watching Sin City after the interview. So that will at least sustain me through the interview.

So ... 20 mins more till 3 pm. Then everything will be set in motion. The blocks will fall and there is nothing to stop it now.

Wish me Luck!!!

I got through to the Second Round

I got through to the second round of interviews for the MFA position.

When is it going to be updated?

About a month ago, I mentioned that I wanted to buy an iBook. I have not bought it yet. I still want to get it but it seems that the hardware is due for an update, according to this website. So I decided that since I have till August to get it (when the new school term starts).

It has been a few weeks now and the update is still not here yet. The various Apple conference has come and gone and the discount schemes (in the US) has been implemented and has eneded. Yet, the iBook is still not updated. WHY????????

Sometimes I just want to throw in the towel and just buy the damn laptop but what if the update happens just after I buy it. Murphy's law huh?!

So Come on Stevie ... update the damn bloody iBook. I am going insane here and August is coming in 21 days!!! TICK TOCK TICK TOCK ... (take a chance you stupid ho!!)

I Still Call Australia Home!!

I love this ad. I saw it for the first time in Melbourne in (i think) 2000. The version then was a little different but the concepts were similar (kids in white tops and black pants singing their hearts out to the tune of "I Still Call Australia Home"). This version was shown during the Sydney olympics 2004.

Interesting Fact about the ad:
- The finale, shot at Whitehaven Beach in Queensland, features 500 children in the shape of the Qantas kangaroo. Nearly half of these children came from local schools.
- It took five months to film, from late October 2003 until early March 2004.
- 169,561 kilometres travelled. That is 4.25 times around the globe!
- 112,370 feet or 280 rolls of film were used.
- 656 production crew from 9 countries.
- 245 hours of filming took place.
- Everything was shot on location.

If only Singaporean ads were this good!!

MFA replied

In the middle of June, I sent in an application for the Foreign Serivce Officer Position in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. And today, they replied. I know this may sound conceited, but I actually winged the application and gave pretty stupid answers to their question on "What do you think is the challenge for Singapore's Foreign Service?" and "Why do you want to be a Foreign Service Officer?". But they replied and they are asking me in for some tests. Actually its more like a multitude of tests:

"Stage 1 of the selection process consists of the following five
assessments:-

a) Analysis Test
b) Writing Skills Test
c) Reasoning Test
d) Situational Judgement Test
e) Personality Test"

So it seems I have gotten into the first round and hopefully I get pass these tests successfully next Tuesday (12th). So pray for me and wish me luck.

Hopefully they do not expose me for the fake that I am. :P

Also, how fortunate that these tests are happening on the day that the office is organising some LAME RECREATION DAY!! So with this excuse, I am escaping from lame activities like tug-of-war and Drunken Sailor.

What joy!! What luck!!