Somehow, I managed summon enough courage to brave the expected crowd present at the Commex 2009 IT fair. As usual, unlike the counterparts overseas, the ones held locally are meant to be a market place, with pamphlets and flyers strewn all over the place. The crowds are there for only one thing – to get the best deal possible and make their purchase, unlike overseas, where such exhibitions are meant to showcase new products, or innovations.

There was a point in time, many year back where I would diligently make my way into the crowded halls, just to get a feel of the gadgets and stuff. Then I stopped going altogether, in a way due to the crowds. It’s getting too crowded, and I didn’t have anything to purchase anyway.

This time however, I went there for a purpose – to make some purchases. Not overly big purchases anyway, just some small accessories for my computers. I’ve been wanting to get a laptop for over two years already, but every time such an exhibition comes and goes, it just feels as though the time isn’t right yet. I’m still waiting … and saving.

Maybe it’s just me, or maybe I have not recuperated fully from my midnight return flight, but halfway during the mad squeeze, I started to feel lethargic. Maybe it’s the bag, or maybe it’s the crowd.

Maybe it’s the poor air quality?

Or maybe … I’m not as fit as I used to be?

Damn, it all popped out from nowhere. One minute I was doing fine, and the next, my arms and hands start feeling itchy.

Interestingly, it’s only on the palms and the inside of my forearms, from my presumably dirty jacket and gloves. Even after a nice warm shower, the rashes are still there, and making itself felt. In a big way. So, it couldn’t be the jacket, although it’s a prime suspect, since the only part of me in contact was my arms. Still, that doesn’t exactly explain it’s only the inside area of the forearms which are itchy, and not the outside area.

Maybe I’ll just take a day’s leave or something.

I need to get a new pair of gloves soon too. This one’s giving way. I can already see my left index finger. I’m pretty sure it can still last though. Only question is, for how long?

I really have not been blogging much lately. Oh well …

First off, the diving trip I went on two weeks back was fun. Granted, my underwater housing flooded … again. I guess either I’m not meant to take photos underwater, or I just have not gotten the hang of the maintenance yet. I know I’ve never been very good at such mundane stuff either. Did a total of 11 dives, which is quite a number. I didn’t manage to see any big stuff during this trip, except for that school of 12 or so Napolean Wrasse and a lone Bumphead Parrotfish. We did visit a site with some cleaner shrimps too. I tried placing my hand on top of that rock where the shrimps are. For some reason, only a shrimp or two ventured onto my hand. Only a prick later they just floated off. Maybe my hand was just too clean for them? Hmm …

Just 5 days after I returned from diving at Pulau Perhentian, I few off for another trip yet again; this time, to Delhi for business. Things do not really change at all. Yes, there have been changes in terms of infrastructure, but apart from that, everything else appeared the same to me. The traffic is as terrible as can be. It’s supposed to be the monsoon season, but through out the 5 days that I was there, I think it only rained twice. It was the second time which really wrecked havoc for me.

The thunderstorm was heavy no doubt about it, but it lasted for only half an hour or so. I didn’t think it mattered that much, but it does apparently. Many flights were delayed, the air crew were late (or so they said), people crowded around the boarding gates and aero bridges were locked. As a result, flights were delayed because a few of the outgoing flights had to be loaded via buses, mine included. In the end, it was delayed by almost two hours. It was simply chaotic.

Just today, I was considering taking my bicycle out for a spin. It’s been eons since I last did so, and I was starting to feel a little nostalgic. Just a few weeks ago, I summed up the courage to lift it off the stand and cleaned it up a little. My, after so many months of neglect, the dust can really settle. What surprised me more was the little creep which decided to make a home inside the horn. It decided to pop-out when I burped it a few times. It looked rather dead to me; I guess it got stuck on the way in. The diaphragm is probably a little rusted or so, for the only sound which came out was a high-pitched whine, not a shock-inducing blast. Hopefully it might get a little better after some real usage.

I shall not be coerced.

I will not be coerced.

I must be strong.

I seem to have a sudden interest in classic motorcycles. Classic cars are bad enough, but motorcycles too?

Therefore, I want one of these!

Ural Motorcycles: Red October

It’s not exactly classic, but at least the design is classic, in a similar fashion to the Royal Enfield motorcycles. It’s a limited edition motorcycle with side car, painted with the theme colours from the movie The Hunt For Red October, manufactured by (and very fittingly too) the Russian motorcycle manufacturer Ural.

Too bad the production run is exceptionally limited. Which means I’ll not be able to get my hands on it. Then again, I think I’ll be equally happy with any Ural motorcycle.

What a good friend of mine said really holds a lot of weight – you don’t know what you’ve lost till it’s really gone. That’s human nature, by the way. We always yearn for better things, and always think that the other side of the fence holds tastier grass.

We almost never reach a stage of total contentment. Then again, maybe we do, but that’s probably towards nirvana, or enlightenment, of whatever you may wish to label it.

I don’t recall myself behaving in the way that I am. Either my memory is failing, or that I’ve slowly getting more and more disillusioned and frustrated with the present circumstances. I guess it’s very hard to discard the rose-coloured glasses either; the pair of green eyes peering through rose-tinted glasses – not the best combination at all.

Like what I try to tell myself, in order to avoid wanting to cross over the fence – enjoy the moment while it lasts. Don’t be green eyed with envy, for the present situation will never last for an eternity. It will soon pass, and maybe it’ll be other’s turn to be green eyed. But then why is it that I seem to be headed in that direction? Something that I’ve been telling myself not to do so?

I’ve the the Vespa back from the workshop. Apparently, it’s a worn out alternator coil. The plastic insulation for the wires were all brittle and falling apart, which probably shorted the wires and prevented the bike from starting again.

The alternator coil

Close-up

There goes a hundred and a half bucks.

The Vespa couldn’t start today, for some unknown reason. I had brought it to the workshop for routine servicing just 2 days prior, and right after it was still working fine. So, for some reason, after riding for not even half an hour, it just stalled on the side of the expressway. I could neither kick-start it nor I push-start it.

Thank goodness a good friend of mine had a pick-up. Gave him call, and thankfully he didn’t have anything on. When he arrived, both of us strong-armed the bike onto the back of the pickup! LOL. If it was any other bike, it might not have been possible.

The bike’s now at the workshop. Hopefully they’ll be able to diagnose the problem and get it fixed tomorrow.

Gave my dad a hand in removing the canvas top off the car for some repairs. Check out the end result.

Quite cool. It’s now a single seater, and there’s no roof at all. Should be interesting to take it out for a spin, but it’s not going to be a nice experience should the weather turn foul.

It’s been almost a week since I returned from my trip. I still have yet to upload my photos to anywhere, let alone show them to anybody. All this while, I’ve been acquiring the telecasts of the Formula 1 races as it happens, but I’m lagging like a handful of races behind, which isn’t good too.

I have Google reader enabled, and have subscribed to dozens of blogs and feeds, and well, apparently I don’t even have time to clear the day’s growth of posts, let along the backlog.

Since I’ve recently acquired a set of wheels (not really acquired as I’ll still need to return it to the rightful owned anyway), I’ve set it upon myself to spend a bit of time each weekend to do small touch-ups here and there.

That’s probably the gist of it. I’ve got so many things to do, and it just seems like it keeps piling up every night. Oh well, I guess better than nothing to do?