Liked the idea of the pelicans all lined up for the shot. Tried to get rid of the boat peeking out from the back of the pillar, but there was no way about it (one could still digitally remove it, heh, maybe next time).

Haven’t taken many photos since the start of the new year. Vyanne has gone home to Malaysia for a holiday and I’m using the time to just create upheaval here. Heh, cleaning up my room, restructuring my hard disk, changing the way I do things. It’s been using the same folder formats since 2002, and every time I upgrade my PC, I just copy the folders over, and now I have multiple copies of the same thing sitting in various places.

Also keen to do the whole photographing process properly. I am starting to see the need to shoot RAW more and more, and I’ve been put off by the large file sizes previously. Will need to scrutinise my pictures more intensely and remove things that should not be there for the final cut.

Been also reading up on new ways to organise my information, and have found something that I might integrate into my workflow (problem of having too many computers, so data needs to be synchronised across all of them. As well as saving things I do at work). I have been using My Textfile to store random bits of information as I go along. It’s a Google App and just requires a Gmail account to login and you have a permanently accessible (as long as you are connected to the net) notepad for jotting down jibberish anywhere you have a browser and can log into the Internet.

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Went for a run yesterday, albeit a short one. Don’t get as short of breath as I used to when I first started, but my feet didn’t hold up too well. It’s been a while since I’ve punished it by pushing against the concrete surfaces on parks. Want to build up momentum again for a charity run in April. Haven’t signed up for it yet, but am quite keen and will probably do it soon.

It’s an early start to the day. Will try and make the most of it.

This was one of the dishes we had in Adelaide, duck cured in salt water. It wasn’t too salty and I quite like the taste. I just like to eat, and am constantly fascinated with the various types of food available. Only this morning was Vyanne and I at Victoria Market and there is an abundance of fresh produce from vegetables to fruits to meat and seafood. There’s also the wide array of cheeses, olives, preserved meats, pastas that you can get and what you can cook with the ingredients is only limited by your imagination.

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It’s that time of the year when I have to look into renewing the hosting fees for this website. Was considering at one point to start fresh and get a new domain name. Not like there is any brand recognition with makumaro.net. Heh. Not that my current hosting fees are very pricey, at RM170 for a year’s extension of the domain name and the hosting space/bandwidth, it’s still pretty decent. I have found much cheaper alternatives, and can get hosting for as little as USD12-15 a year for the above, as my site is definitely not heavy traffic.

I am still undecided as I have a tested, proven host that is a little more expensive or something that is potentially cheaper in the long run and is recommended by many but untested by me.

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Managed to get a Windows 7 beta CD Key. Heh, am keen to try that out and as always, there are two sides to me, the one who wants to embrace and try everything new, then there is the practical side of me who would rather not change things if things are not broken. One tends to spend more time fixing issues than actually using the actual system. This goes back to my uni days when I built my first computer and everything was a test and trial for me. I dabbled in everything that seemed interesting. I mellowed a little after a few years and as I had less time for these trivial pursuits, decided to implement the safest strategy.

Now I’m just waiting for the iso file to download, and I’d need to get a disc to burn it on. Something for next week to try out.

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Partied with friends on Friday night and got my internal clock a little out of sync as we were up until around 4am. Had to get up at 9am to send him to the airport and I wasn’t quite awake for the remainder of the day. Body doesn’t cope well with weird sleeping habits. Friend from New Zealand’s last night in Melbourne, so we thought we’d have a bit of fun. He’s probably going to be back here in a few weeks, having quit his job there to maybe try something else in Melbourne. It was a comfortable job with good pay, but once you get too settled, it becomes hard to adapt to new things.

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I guess the items in this post tie to the idea about being adventurous. After the Adelaide trip, which was a little out of my comfort zone, driving thousands of kilometres and hoping my car wouldn’t break down (yes, go my Honda Jazz!), I got to see a different part of South Australia and experience new things. It has changed my perception slightly. I have always been an advocate for doing true and tested, and trying stuff only if there is an undo button or if I knew how to reverse it. I seem to be adverse to permanent changes at times, but I remind myself that change is good, as long as you are willing to stick it out and put in the effort to work out the kinks.