Testing RSS 1.0

This entry is to test the grenerated RSS1.0 feeds on brokenVase. If you guys know what this is, test it with the agregators and tell me if it works... I will create other RSS versions and ATOM as well if this works... Next step would be to work ok the publishing part...

We will have different feeds for both Kat and myself.

http://www.brokenvase.com/blog/ rdf_merv.asp

TEST! TEST!

Mervin Chiang

I just decided on day to google my name 'Mervin Chiang' and assumed that brokenVase would be the first on the list of results. But I couldn't find it anywhere!! In fact when you do that search, second on the list, you would find my name on the Australasian Process Days '05 where I am giving a workshop in instead...

So since Google is doing such a good job in indexing pages. I think this entry would do the job

That good tingling sensation...

This morning I woke up late and came to office late. Only because I am leaving the office late (also played late the night b4)... Anyway...

I was watching my usual morning Sunrise on 7 a morning news and talk show program. When towards the end they gave a supprise to one of the presenters with a special guest coming out without her knowing and singing to her. A few weeks ago she had briefly mentioned that she wished that she would have been in a show called 'young talents' many years back for kids. They invited the singer/host of that show today to supprise her. She was almost in tears with joy...

Its hard to describe these kindsa feelings. Quite often here also on the radio you hear the presenters telling about someone have sickness, in hardship, cancer etc... and they call that person up and sponsor them to things they need... 'random acts of kindness' they call...

That is one of the key reasons (I feel) why people here don't need 'courtesy campaign' to nudge people to be kind and do good... Kindness, joy and goodness oozes from everywhere here... Funny how when I grew up in Singapore, I don't have this good tingling feeling before and makes me want to do good...

We are thinking of sponsoring a child at worldvision...

You gotta love this!...

Meet Spoi Pai Huai

Since Gin introduced her character Ella White on her site, I wanted to do mine as well

Here's 'Spoi Pai Huai'... Means 'broken' or 'spoilt' in Singlish, Hokkien and Chinese...

Level 20 Necromancer/Mesmer:

I had to blog this...

Check this out

http://www.chekyang.com/phd/

MMORPG is massive multi-player online role playing games. This guy is doing a PhD on online games... How cool is that?!

People got I oso want...

Was trying to setup the forum site for WTCA with XH just now... The forum seemed quite powerful.  Was thinking of having one on brokenVase... But wonder what I would have in the forum... hmm...

Talking Cock Explained

I just realised that I should have explained myself better in the receeding entry. For the benefit of the 40% or so readers of this site who don't come from Singapore.

'Talking cock' is a Singaporean slang, or 'singlish' as some like to call it. It merely means to talk rubbish, bullshitting or the civilised englishmen would say... 'Balderdash!'.

I recently recieved a private email telling me that the entry below was vulgar and rude... I find that it is no different from an OZ bloke here saying 'Crikky!'... Which actually means... 'wah lau aye!' in singlish. I grew up hearing this phrase more commonly spoken in chinese or hokkien, and now when I translated that to english (directly).. it is suddenly 'vulgar'?

Afterall, isn't the term 'to fuck' a more aggressive way of saying 'to have sexual intercourse'? Yet, that is still to offensive... so shall we call it 'to make love'? Ahhh... now it sounds better...

Talking Cock

With all the advances in technology, fast internet speed and VoIP tools... BV is pleased to bring you TALKING COCK! Heh...

I have setup a private teamspeak server. 'What issit?' you might ask. Have you heard of push-to-talk for mobiles? Oh... err... HANDPHONES for those SG readers *grin*... and CELL for USA readers... or HANDY for German readers... sheesh -.-'

Yeah, its kinda like a bit of msn, skype and irc with walkie-talkie capabilities. All you need is a speaker, a mic and broadband. So everyone can login (like msn) visit channels (like irc) and TALK COCK (like SGeans with walkie-talkies! kekeke)...

Imagine the limitless amounts of 'meetings' you can setup remotely! For church, for gaming, for... TALKING COCK...

Download the client here and install it if you are interested. The server that I run (from home) is:

brokenVase.servegame.com

However, I password protected the server in case I get flooded with too many people I don't know. If you are interested to keep up with technology, click here to contact me and I will email you the password.

Buying Toys

Do you remember when you were a kid and you saw this toy or something that you wished you had? I'd be that kid sulking or coming up with ways to convince my parents that I want that toy for example. I suddenly felt like that yesterday. And this time the 'parent' is Kat! Funnily...

I'm not saying that its good. I just felt like that... Our internet was down, our grandpa Netgear decided to go senile and gave up staying online with the ISP. To solve the problem we had to get another router/modem... But Kat said to wait... 'for what'? I thought... Inside me I started to sulk... to feel this uncontrollable sadness that I can't get my toy... 'your shoes broken and you need to get a new pair, I didn't complain...' I thought...

And then I realised what I was feeling... And it reminded me SOoo much of me when I wanted that GI Joe figurine when I was a kid... I even got my mum to rig her company's kids prize lucky draw so I could get the one I want... Yeah yeah... I know... I'm the only child... yada yada...

Then I had to control myself and told Kat, 'its ok, we'll wait...' Then she said before we turned to bed last night... why don't you get it lar... *grin* I feel ashamed for wanting it and having lack of self control... but I crave... I covet... I.. I....

Sigh...

Sometimes I wonder what me REAL reaction will be if I had to choose between God and my life... Since I lack discipline in the smallest of things...

Myers Briggs Type Indicator

Usually I don't do these kinds of boliao online tests and stuff. I did this one because as part of my uni work we did this to study how high performance teams with various attributes gel and work together. I also studied this and know that our four letter words change over time as we evolve and learn from work experiences. A year and a half ago, INFJ was my first match. Now it has changed! This test is the 'fun' version. The more serious version

http://www.personalitypathways.com/ type_inventory.html

Yup! Everything new

It IS the new fiscal year and its like a big thing here. Everyone needs to file tax returns, accountants are busy. And us? We are starting our first day in the markets! Selling baby clothes!

In case you didn't know what I was busy with the past 2 months... here they are...

http://www.leonardo.com.au/processdays

http://www.leonardo.com.au/davenport

Been working on these 2 babies til all systems go yesterday. Big sigh of relief. And yes! They are both events over 1 grand to attend! And Yes! I will be going FREE! I will learn lots from these 2 events... Sorta like 'church camp' for my company... Speakers come and give talks and we listen... We give some talks and everyone else listens...

BTW, I will be giving a workshop in the conference as well! heh

Driving

i was put on this job that is situated in a town past gold coast. the other colleague on this job is a pommie who just started here a month or so ago so he hasn't got a car yet. so i had to drive. it is about 1 hr's drive one way.

i had to wake up at 5.30 am in the morning, bathe, eat breakfast, fix lunch and get out of the house by 6.40 am to go to the city to pick him up at 7 am. and i did that for about 3 days. everything went fine driving to and fro the city and the client's place. the reverse parking and the city driving in peak hours all went fine. the fastest stretch is about 30 minutes of 120km/h driving and that went fine. i am thankful.

then.... we came back to the city today as we had to come back to drop off the files and stuff. i caused a big scratch (about an arm's length of massive black scratches) on the right corner of the front bumper coz the turns in the squeezy city carpark are just so tight. am so upset.... my first scratch... ouch.

Now, what have we been up to?

nothing much really. we have a 8-5 job. we work in the city. we go home, cook dinner or eat out. chill out in front of the tv or play computer games. seriously, not much of an exciting life, isn't it?

last friday, we started our first day at the Southbank markets, selling baby clothes. right after work, i rushed there to help mervin. we spent the rest of the weekend there at the stall while the wild young aussies partied their life away. not much of an exciting life, isn't it?

the sales were pretty bad. we couldn't even cover the rental of the stall. of course, we were sad and disappointed. but we are thinking of new strategies, like a new location and some changes to the goods we are selling.

the weekend passed too quickly. we barely had any rest and another work week has started. not much of an exciting life, isn't it?

Happy New Financial YEar

it is of no significance to some and of extremely high significance for others. it is funny how one of those morning tv programmes here was celebrating it over cakes and coffee. well, for me, it marks the beginning of a busy season to come. as one aussie taxi driver says, 'auditors are the ones who go into a battlefield after the war is over and starts poking around the dead and the wounded.' what an 'honourable and important' job!