KARAOKE TO THE LIBRARY

Sunday's almost over. It feels like only yesterday I met up with Jaja and Gary for drinks. It was quite a crowd at The Library, Jaja and I stayed until 2 a.m. listening to the live band reminiscing the 90s. I have only 5 days left at work and I think I'm all set to go. Riz is flying out of the UK on Wednesday, he'll be spending the first couple of weeks with projects in Cape Town before I arrive. 

I'm looking forward to meeting a few more friends before I leave. I'm hoping the weather's on our side the next time around. 

MY ARM IS STILL ASLEEP

The defiant Col. Gadaffi tries to dismiss rumours that he fled Tripoli. Holding a cream-coloured umbrella perched on the back seat of a car, a shoddy looking building as the backdrop doesn't really help if you ask me. Political unrest is sweeping through the land now, with more violence reported in other countries. With great power comes great responsibility. People tend to forget the latter.

A completely different scene is unfolding on the other side of the world. A devastating earthquake has hit Christchurch, a state of emergency is declared. Volunteers, local authorities and people from all walks of life are frantically trying to search for survivors, or saving friends and colleagues - working way through the night. Mom called a family friend last night, thankfully everybody's alright.

Unfortunately for these two, their mother may not have survived the disaster (photo taken from http://www.news.com.au/).

Whether in the Middle East or New Zealand, here's to the men and women who put their differences aside, fought earnestly, strived persistently. 

On a much lighter note, I went to get my vaccinations done yesterday for yellow fever (mandatory for entry to a number of African countries) and Vivaxim (Hep A + Typhoid). And so, I finally got my yellow card, which resulted in a very numb dead left arm. My travel insurance finally sorted and Astro account cancelled. One useless piece of info - you are allowed to cancel the Astro account you have even if it's registered under a different name. You just have to give one month notice for cancellation of which you have to return the smart card within 3 months. Another option is to freeze the account but only for a limited time (also 3 months). That or I was in my best behaviour lucky to get to deal with a very helpful Customer Service officer, a very different experience to when AIr Asia cancelled my flight.  

6 + GHANA?

I've never thought about it seriously until I was having a chat with Uzoh yesterday. Airline connectivity within Africa is tricky matter. The day before, Rizwan pointed out that to get to South Africa from West Africa, one may have to fly via Dubai. There's also news that a slight change of plans is inevitable due to issues surrounding Visa requirements, resulting in him postponing his trip to Ghana. The initial plan is for Rizwan to spend a few weeks in Ghana before catching up with me in South Africa in March. I realized then that it's something worth looking into ahead of time.

- image from http://www.infrastructureafrica.org/

There's definitely a bright side to this, I get to tag along to Ghana later. Another one for the books!

TABLETS OF THE COOL KIND

Unlike the tablets that you painfully down on headache stricken days, I wonder why these tablets don't come in a plethora of colours. Sidekicks are there to spice things up. That's the only way.

Speaking of Spice, here's a review on CSL Droidpad Spice Mi700, Part 1 and Part 2. The Spice runs on Android 2.2.

The iPad currently takes the top spot in the Top Ten list followed by the Samsung Galaxy and the HP Slate 500. Perhaps the aptly named Toshiba Tablet will give the iPad a run for its money.

- image from http://www.geek.com/

PARTY'S A GO

Things happen when you have your mind set on something and put it in motion.

I received news on one very crucial part of this travel. My 6-month leave is officially approved. It hasn't been a straightforward process as we all initially thought. Needless to say, I'm very grateful of the tremendous support given in order to see it through.

Now what's left are just minor details.

And drinks.

DELORME, GARMIN, GARMIN, GARMIN, GARMIN, MAGELLAN

Say it repeatedly, has a melody to it hasn't it?

I'm actually doing a research on GPS systems, particularly used for travelling, to show me how to get to the nearest waterhole, if I get lost in the desert. Certainly in my case, I need help in the food department i.e. find the best eating places.

On a serious note (!), I'm planning to use this to lock and upload the coordinates online and record my route. If anybody has any insight on this, I'll appreciate the information. For the time being, I'm looking at the review for best GPS for 2011 on Top Ten Reviews. A much more competitive market out there compared to 5 years back as the technology is picking up among outdoor enthusiasts and addicts, I'm hoping to get a good deal.

Now where in Kuala Lumpur is another good question.

- the Delorme Earthmate PN-40, rated #1 on Top Ten Reviews, I'll be happy if I can get around the fact that it has 'complete U.S. and Canada topographic details' because it sounds like there's a subscription fee of some sort involved. Image from tripleblaze.com

BACK TO BUSINESS

I arrived in Cambridge at a ridiculous hour in the freezing cold. I'll be spending time with Riz and his family and also go through any final details for our trip to Africa - budget, route, health requirements, etc., etc. - a long list of things to do.

Riz has been working hard alright, being on the phone the whole time with two monitors running simultaneously in the background.

And me?

Equally PRODUCTIVE, indeed. 

LION ON FIRE

For Piks....

....sorry Piks, I've thought about it long and hard but I think I'm not ready to go to jail for arson

Random things my friends and I discuss about. Nonsensical at times, it must be the chicken strips we had.

When I started searching for this on Google Image, I seriously didn't think there'd be so many hits!

He looks pretty docile here but if the lion ever decides that I make a good afternoon snack....I'll definitely know what to do! It was also suggested I pile up the kilos now so I can lose it there.

The Widjajas arranged for a wonderful dinner and drinks last night at Ole-Ole Bali. Klev and Richard made it too. My mind never arrived at work today, besides the nagging mental reminder to enable the Out Of Office. This was a great way to conclude it. Then it's off to London for a 3-week break!

- image from scenicreflections.com

WHAT TO DO WHEN CHASED BY A WILD ANIMAL

'Run towards the person who runs slower than you...then deviate'

- Shington Widjaja

....Nothing but the best survival tips from Shington.

TICKET....CHECK!

I could've chosen a better image but for now this'll do. The first photo I took with my trusty little camera specifically for this blog is of....a piece of paper!

Mind you, this paper is worth a couple of thousand ringgit, MYR2394 to be exact. I'm flying Malaysia Airlines. I would say that's a good deal from Kuala Lumpur to Cape Town. I booked this through Asiatravel.com via Wego.com, in case you're interested.

So the flight date is on the 13th March 2011, and no, it's not a Friday.

It does feel like things are really moving now. I can feel the heat! I've been going to the banks a lot lately and asking about account cancellation (of my gym membership, not at the bank-lah) and the mandatory vaccinations, among others.

So yes, Jaja, plenty of time for you to plan, so my expectation is way up there!