Hehe… Not a blog entry – just a special message…

… to my dear friends who have chatted with me on the ‘live chat’ box on the left side of the page:

There may not be a large number of these special people like you, but thank you for chatting and sharing with me your opinions, offering advices, or simply talking about something that I have written.

… I really enjoy replying you guys!

But, lately, I found that our conversations on the chat box are not permanent – when they reach the bottom end of the box, they will be deleted forever – and there is no way to get them back…

I really want your words to be here forever – they mean a lot to me.

I want it when I look back at this blog many years from now, when we are all working adults and maybe not contacting each other anymore – I still want to see and remember every single word you guys have said to me, and have encouraged me in my life this far.

Because of that,

I have transferred all of the things that you guys have written (those related to a particular story that I’ve written) into the ‘comments’ section of that entry.

That way, it is much more easier for me to reply to you, because I have more control over the ‘comments’ section, compared to using the chat box!

… And what’s more – things written in the ‘comments’ section are never deleted by the system – kept there forever!

Dear friends, this is what I wish to ask of you – if it is possible, please leave the things that you wish to say (that are related to something that I have written in an entry) in the ‘comments’ section of each entry.

For the things that are not related to any of the entries, something that you simply want to chat about – you can leave them in the chat box!

I hope you guys know this – the things that YOU say about my entries, about the things that I’ve written about my life – they are very important to me.

… one of the main reasons that I created this website (as I have written in the ‘about me‘ page) is, after all, to communicate and interact with my friends!

Let me tell you a small ’secret’ – honestly, everytime someone writes something encouraging in the ‘comments’ section of any of my blog entries, I really feel very happy and warm… And I would secretly, but sincerely, thank that person in my heart… I really do!

I promise I would reply to them – every single sentence that you wrote to me on this website. If I didn’t reply to something that you’ve written, I would personally send you a message!

That’s it… Thanks to all of you!

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Assignment submission later… The time now (when I’m writing this) is 6.08AM and I still haven’t slept yet… Zzz….

I’ll update tomorrow after the submission…

*I canceled the entire entry, please scroll down to see why…*

This is not an advertisement – Apple didn’t pay me anything for it but I am writing about it because I am damn impressed!

The quality of Apple iPods is so good, so durable, that I in fact accidentally ‘washed’ it in my washing machine (with washing liquid), went through the ‘rinse’ mode and totally violent ’spin’ mode, and was hung outside under the sun for a few hours…

… and it still works!

Haha, this is really incredible!

I really, really thought that I’d have to buy a new one… and it would be really painful to my finances because I am currently REALLY not in the condition to spend freely.

Besides, I liked my iPod very much, it am totally satisfied with its great performance, and it has never, not even once, broken down since I bought it in Hong Kong two years ago!

I thought I was going to be totally broke. I had just bought a new camera, and I needed to buy a new phone urgently (now not functioning at all); and if a new iPod was to be added to the list – I don’t think I can even survive this month!

HAHAHAHAHA… Apple Inc. saved me!!!

… or maybe they wouldn’t be too happy since I’m won’t need to buy a new iPod anymore!

If you’ve read my previous post you’d know that I left the MP3 player in my pocket, somehow bypassed my ‘pockets-checking’ procedure before I put my laundry into the washing machine, and ended up in a dripping-wet khakis!

It totally didn’t work when I first brought it back from the laundry drying rack, there were visible water marks inside the screen, tried to turn it on but it had no response. Dead.

I knew it was a bad idea to charge an electronic device that had just come out of a washing machine, but I had to try it – I plugged in the USB cable and connected it to my computer.

The screen flickered, displayed the famous Apple logo, and the entire screen faded.

I thought this was it – the Apple logo was probably my iPod’s final ‘goodbye words’. (Now I think – If they really were, then my iPod is really, very ridiculously, loyal to its company! Almost dying and still thinking of Apple Inc.)

I left it beside my bed to dry. I knew that hope was shallow for it to ‘recover’, because unlike a thumbdrive or any other electronic device that draws power from the outside – an iPod has an internal battery!

Having an internal power source means that there is a MUCH higher chance of it being short-circuited when its circuit board receives water contact.

If you don’t understand – your Pendrive (device without a battery) can probably go for a swim in your swimming pool, come up, dry itself, and store pictures for you again; but your handphone (device with a battery) would probably not stand a chance!

HAHAHAHAHA I am still so happy that I can hug Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple Inc., and kiss him on his cute bearded face!

YAY!

Somebody control me. I think I am going crazy…

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I wrote this entry a couple of days ago, but didn’t publish it because I wasn’t free but wanted to include a few pictures of my newly ’saved’ iPod before I published the entry; I didn’t have time to take photos at that time.

The “washing-machine-survivable-iPod” incident was supposed to be a refreshing good news in the midst of my chain of disasters which include a lost camera, a damaged handphone and others.

BUT CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! MY BAD LUCK IS STILL NOT OVER YET!!!

THERE IS NO NEED TO TAKE ANY PICTURE OF MY WATERPROOF IPOD ANYMORE – BECAUSE IT IS NOW F****** GONE!!!

NO, I AM NOT GOING TO CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY ANYMORE! I AM NO LONGER GOING TO BLAME MYSELF FOR NEGLIGENCE AND SHIT!

SOMEONE BASTARD STOLE IT FROM ME! I WASN’T CARELESS!

I’M SORRY FOR COMPLAINING LIKE THIS… BUT YES, I AM VERY FED-UP.

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…

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Sigh… You know what?

I am very scared now… Almost all the essential electronic devices around me have had terrible things happen to them… one by one… Erm, have you heard of the movie Final Destination before?

The horror movie is about a group of friends who ‘cheated death’ because they had avoided, by pure luck (usually warned by a premonition), the situation in which they should have died.

So, ‘Death’ himself comes to claim their lives, one by one, using disgusting, cruel, freak ‘accidents’ – because they should be dead but they aren’t.

Back to reality – Mysteriously, my electronic devices did ‘cheat death’ before… Haha…

First, it was my camera -

When I first bought my previous camera almost a year ago, I wasn’t used to carrying a fourth item – after my phone, wallet, and keys – in my pocket. And, the camera was considered quite thick for my jeans, so I frequently took it out, put it on the table, and sometimes almost left without it.

Luckily, in every occasion, my friends would remind me when I left it behind. If this counts, my camera had ‘cheated death’ many times.

Second, my phone – I had once accidentally left my phone and my wallet in a pool room in Cyberjaya – almost five months ago.

It was quite bulky in my jeans pocket so I took it out and left it on the table. Yup, this time I really left the place without them. It was until I was back in my house before I realized that I had left them there, and when we drove back to the place to find them – they were gone!

After a few horrible minutes, a kind Indian guy came and said that he had seen my phone and wallet and had taken them – waiting for us to come back and retrieve them!

I was very thankful, he could have just taken them, left, and sold my phone for a cheap price in some second-hand shop. My phone had definitely ‘cheated death’.

Third, my iPod – last week, I accidentally washed it in the washing machine and by some unbelievable miracle, it survived. Electronic stuff are not supposed to survive washing machines, but mine did. My iPod, also, cheated death!

My camera, followed by my phone, then my iPod… Erm, notice something – the chronology… the order? It is the very same order in which they were recently lost/damaged…! Scary, huh?

Now I really fear for my last and most critically important electronic equipment of all…

… My laptop.

I really want to think that my laptop had not cheated death before – but… read this.

Argh!

Four of my most regularly used electronic devices are boycotting – no, actually bullying me!

I am, after all, an Electronics Engineering student! I specialize in these devices! In fact, our profession created them! How can they do this to me?

The four electronic devices that I use the most everyday are:

1. Camera
2. Handphone
3. MP3 Player
4. Laptop

Let me tell you what happened to them one by one…

1) My ex-Sony T-20 Cybershot Digital Camera - LOST.

Losing my camera was probably the greatest tragedy of all. Huge impact to my memories, severe loss of precious photos, and gigantic blow to my current finances!

It was my fault to have lost it, and I was very sad, but finally got over it.

I’ve got an entire entry covering this news, I don’t think I need to elaborate.

Then, came the next bully:

2) My Nokia 6600 handphone – BROKEN.

Before this happened, I had already planned to get a new phone when I go to HK this June, but I didn’t expect it to stop functioning so soon – now!

The keypad had suddenly and completely stopped working today. So although I could switch on the power, I couldn’t even key in my PIN code!

I opened and checked everything I could. Nope, nothing can do – internal damage.

I think no matter how terrible my current finances are, I’ve got to buy a new one this week… Sob sob… My handphone is probably the most important electronic device to me! How do I live even one day without a handphone? Can’t even wake up in the morning!

As if it wasn’t bad enough, here comes number 3:

3) My Apple iPod Nano MP3 Player – WASHED!!!

OK, I don’t know what to say about this.

I, you know… accidentally, like – washed – my iPod in the washing machine.

I found it dripping wet in one of the pockets hanging outside under the sun this afternoon.

…

Yeah, go ahead, laugh.

…

I dunno how the heck that could have happened as I always check the pockets of my clothes before putting them into the washing machine…

The only conclusion – careless me.

I still don’t know how the iPod’s condition is as I’m writing this. I tried to turn it on but it had no response… Now still trying to ‘revive’ it, but – faint chance. Sigh…

Last but not least, number 4:

4) My Acer Aspire 4710 laptop – ‘ALMOST’ LOST!

Oh God, if it really happened – and I lost my laptop, you’d probably see me jumping off the 12th floor of one of the Cyberia condo blocks.

It was really a heart-stopping moment. We were all in the car when I realized that my laptop was not with me… When we went back to look for it – gone.

As I stood there planning my next move, my mind was flashing through the critically important documents and files stored in my laptop, from important agreements and letters, to precious photos and personal diaries/financial records…

Losing my camera or phone or iPod would be terrible, but they are all, at least, replaceables. Losing them is nothing compared to losing my laptop.

In the end, it turned out that one of my friends saw the laptop as he passed by, and decided to teach me a lesson. He took it, and gave me some time to panic, before returning it to me laughing at my stunned expression.

Thanks to him, I am still able to write this entry with my laptop.

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OK I know what you’re thinking... The gadgets are actually not bullying me, instead all that has happened were almost all my fault, nothing but my own carelessness… and I think you’re right… I admit it.

But why do they all have to happen at once? And why this period when I’m overflowing with other personal debts? Huhu…