Maxis, blackberry, iphone plans in depth analysis

For this post, the purpose is not to review the tech specs between iphone and blackberry, but to compare the plans from a cost perspective. I'm a wannabe finance analyst :). I will be using maxis as an example, cuz i'm stuck with Maxis. Also I'm assuming, no matter what, that people who go for either a blackberry or iphone will always have a data plan and the costs do not decrease after time.

The blackberry and iphone plans differ in one major aspect. The web browsing. The BIS plans are confusing and on the surface 5mb for the bis lite at RM40 isn't too appealing. 1mb = 25 pages, and 125 html pages per month. That is ridiculous. If I'm at a bookstore and want to see book reviews, i will be browsing probably 10 webpages at one time easily. So already blackberry will be out of the picture where browsing is important unless u get RM120 for the unlimited data plan and only then is it worth it to get the blackberry. On the other hand, the iphone is 500mb of data for 50 a month. That is totally worth it from a web site surfing cost perspective. Forget about youtube with the blackberry.

Ivalue plan Iphone discounts

Ivalue plan specifications and monthly cost

So, we look at the iphone. Ok, we have numerous plans, some of them, when you combine two, will approximately equal another plan. Take the ivalue plan for RM100 per month. This plan combines both phone and data into one package. You get 333 minutes of talk time, 500mb of data, and 100 sms free to other maxis users, otherwise you pay 10 sen for sms to other operators. The major cons are inflexibility and for every sms to other operators, you will be paying an additional ten cents. Cost wise, the RM100 per month would be the minimum, but most likely you will be paying more than that, especially if you sms to other operators.

Idata plan monthly cost

Idata plan Iphone discounts

Next we have the value plus 50 plan and the Idata plan, both are RM50 each per month. So if you were to purchase both, you would have a plan that is similar to the ivalue plan. I think its interesting because we have some choice and flexibility. So, i'll explain the valueplus50 plan. Its call and sms rates are cheaper than the ivalue plan but only for maxis to maxis, but more for maxis to other operators. You would get RM50 worth of calls or sms at the rates in the following charts. If you spend more than that, you pay more. Most likely, the rates average out at the ivalue plan's rates of 15 sen per min talk time and 10 sen sms. So we'll just assume they are basically the same rate.

Value plus 50 plan charges

The Idata plan is RM50 a month which gets you 500mb worth of data. The data plan is identical to the Ivalue plan's data portion.

Now, this is where the situation gets interesting. For the first 12 months, the Ivalue plans lets you buy the iphone for about Rm100 less than the Idata plan. Between the money spent on extra sms from the ivalue plan and the RM100 saved on the purchase of the iphone; ends up probably around the same for the first year. You would have to sms A LOT(around 300-400 per month) to take the valueplus50/idata over the ivalue plan. So, it probably doesn't matter which one you take.

Either you could buy the value plus 50 and the idata, or just the ivalue plan. But after the first year, if you don't spend a lot on calls and SMS, it is more advantageous to get the valueplus50/idata instead of the ivalue plan. Your costs will likely be only around RM100, while the Ivalue costs would be always more than RM100 unless you don't sms at all.

The conclusion to get the valueplus50/idata plan, sounds obvious right? Yes, but Maxis actually offers a whopping additional RM400 discount to the Iphone for a 24 month period ivalue plan while compared to RM200 for the idata plan 24 month period. In this case, if you don't mind committing to a 24 month period, the BEST deal is to actually get the Iphone 24 month plan. The savings from the initial iphone discount is that good.

Of course there are cases where it might not be advantageous. Say you don't use 500mb, and could go for the 250mb idata plan which costs only RM30 a month for the second year, then we are talking RM240 in savings, but its not much different from the RM200 in additional savings, netting only RM40 in savings. Not much of a difference if you ask me.

Also, if you plan on changing your phone in the first two years, then yeah, it makes no sense to do the 24 month plan.

So, in summary:

1. valueplus50/idata50 approximately equals the Ivalue100 plan.
2. If you do light usage(less than RM50 in calls and sms, it is better to to get the Ivalue plan THEN switch after the first year.
3. If you can do the 24 month contract Ivalue plan, this is the best regardless of the usage. Then after the first two years maybe switch to the valueplus50/idata if they still have it.
4. If you consistently spend over RM50 in calls and sms, Ivalue is better as the discounts on the iphone are all that matters, for this kind of usage.

Well, after all this, i might still get the blackberry because so far i count 10 people telling me to get the blackberry. So this analysis might be for nought, but such a shame to let it go to waste, so i'll leave it for anyone who is interested :)

Malaysia Female magazine Gorgeous 50, 2009, who's hot.

Out of sheer curiosity and boredom, and not to mention the off-chance that maybe there would actually be some hotties, I visited female magazine's 50 gorgeous people. For the girls, I see one winner, Patricia (no. 32). Sorry to say every other girl there doesn't stand a chance.

Patricia

Check out her video. She portrays herself as down to earth, fun, and not to mention getting a glimpse of her bangin' body is always good :)

For the guys, I saw some that were good looking, but after seeing their videos most of them struck me as mostly douche bags. A lot of the Caucasian men looked, and presented themselves as average at best. I got to mention Jannio (no. 42). In his video, he seems the most comfortable and natural. And he does have this Edison Chen thing going. I personally know of a few girls who would literally drop their pants for Edison Chen in a heart beat.

Jannio

Badminton rackets!!! G*#@$$@@ weight markings!

I wanted a light badminton racket, but some guy came up with a douchie system of 1U,2U,3U, and so forth for weight; making it hard for me to figure out what is the proper weight. Intuitively, assuming U is a variable for a number, I thought the higher U, the heavier the badminton rackets. More simply, 5Us are definitely heavier than 1Us right? Unless U is negative, which is just retarded since weight is almost never a negative number.

I saw a 2U and a 3U racket. Assuming 2U was a lighter racket, I picked that. It even felt lighter than the 3U. That just goes to show you how bad I am as a human balance scale.

Anyhow I ended up googling after the purchase on how to determine weight with badminton rackets. Guess what I learnt? Higher number U is lighter than lower number U. W.T.F. Even the guy at the store mentioned to me that the higher U rackets were heavier. Thanks...whoever made this system. you owe me 150 bucks.

Yonex Muscle Power 3... a 2U racket

I just spent 150 bucks thinking 2U was lighter than 3U. Why can't the manufacturers just put the weight on the racket? in numbers! I'm talking to you Yonex, Carbonex, you douchebag companies!

Xbox 360, live service, trampling on consumer rights

I've been checking out this issue on Xbox live banning modded Xbox systems. They seem to have overstepped their boundaries as a business for the following reasons:

Case 1: Their reasoning does not match up with their actions. They claim to ban modded xbox systems so they "do not have and unfair advantage" over un-modded systems. This is a fair enough reason to ban cheats, but they specifically ban the hardware mac id of the systems. If they were to un-mod their system, i.e. restore the system to its original state, they would still not have access to the xbox live service.

This is an open and shut example of where they claim reasoning yet blatantly overstep their boundaries by not letting restored/unmodded systems back on xbox live.

Case 2: Their methods of detecting modded systems on xbox live is flawed. A modded xbox can still get on xbox live with another system's mac id and thus the system is modded. So if the service can't reliably detect whether a system is flawed, they may wrongfully ban people. I argue that as long as the system is detected as unmodded it should be allowed on xbox live. This is the only solution. Banning of specific systems doesn't make sense and oversteps on the rights as a consumer unless they know for sure the system is modified. I just proved they cannot tell for sure.

In a more general sense, TOS really is a copout for most companies. They blatantly put whatever they want without regards for consumer rights. TOS should be about protecting the company from consumers who make frivolous court cases, i.e. suing for delivering a pizza with the wrong toppings. Nowadays, most companies abuse TOS so they can forcefully take care of problems with no regards to the customer. Ludicrous!

Twitter wins out, six packs

This is one ghetto blog. I haven't updated in 5 months...lol. Anyhow. I am back on twitter. It just turns out that everyone is using that and there are some things about twitter that are good. It is simple and really easy to use. The only problem is that twitter is a bit spammy.

So, what else is new? Well, I have been getting educated on fitness. For a while i had the goal of trying to get a six pack. I had the diet all planned out and everything. I even was on it for a month... but alas, six packs will not happen. Why? Because, losing enough fat for the six pack abs to show will require a low body percentage of under 10%. Getting that kind of body percentage fat will make a person of my weight of 130 lbs look incredibly skinny at 120 lbs. I would get my six pack abs, but the rest of me would be almost twig like. Maybe i'll try again in 2-3 years after gaining some muscle.

Little known truth. the human body is only capable of gaining 5-10 lbs of muscle a year. There is no such thing as someone putting on 30 lbs of muscle. If someone says that, they actually put on 20 lbs of fat and 10 lbs of muscle if they are lucky. In order for someone to put on 50 lbs of muscle, they will need to have worked out consistently for a period of 5 years at minimum.

Just got plurk...beats twitter anytime

I don't know what all the big hooohah about twitter is. It's really bad.

First of all, I can't change my display name. Yes whatever your username is, that's what you are stuck with. I don't mind the url being my username, but the display name should be changeable.

Second of all, its really bland on options. Any idiot can make a twitter site. It has no options. You can post messages and embed it on your website. Why is it so hot on the net? I got no idea.

So, I joined plurk.

Now this is really good. First of all, you can change your display name! Thats awesome.

In addition, if you really don't have any idea what to plurk about, it has verbs to help you get the gears in the head turning, thus producing more content, than twitter which has really no imagination.

Lastly, it also looks professional and has tons of options. Anyways if you like twitter, try plurk out, you won't regret it!

Adidas Predator Absolados review and football shoe buying advice and guide

First and foremost, I mentioned that there were three versions of shoes in a previous post. There is the full blown top of the line expensive shoes that are used by Premier League Players. These shoes use the finest materials and technology by the manufacturers. Next is the middle tier shoes which use good quality materials and some of the up to date technology. Finally we have the economy versions which use cheaper materials and very limited amounts of shoe technology.

I've recently had the opportunity to examine each of the shoes in general and can now give a quick guide so i can pass on the information to interested buyers. This advice can apply to any type of shoe as most manufacturers follow the lower, middle, and upper tier version of shoes.

Here is a picture of the top of the line Predator power swerve series:

Predator Power Swerve

These are the shoes that David Beckham and Steven Gerrard wear when they play their games. It's easy to tell the difference. The shoe material kangaroo leather is extremely soft and top of the line. Almost like tissue paper. The plate underneath the shoe is very extravagant. The studs are also extravagant. Some will have metal tips like this one or will be transparent. The cheaper shoes are usually solid plastic and look generic.

Also the price will be insane, somewhere in the range of RM500-700 or 150 USD. Honestly, I think these are way too much for the average person. I for one know that soccer shoes will fall apart quite quickly compared to other sports. I played basketball and the shoe never fell apart, compared to my football ones.

My last pair of shoes had the sole come out from the shoe. A big piece of mud was stuck inbetween the bottom plate and my shoe. Soccer shoes can't be built to last and have fantastic feel, unlike other sports. So dispel any notion that more expensive shoes wil last longer in football. All people in this line care about feel and control, hardly anything about durability. Anyways, it's not that they don't care, but it's impossible to have it both ways.

Moving on, here is the Predator Absolutes, Absolion, or ABS, the middle tier versions:

Predator ABS/Absolutes

These shoes may be worth it. They cost generally about RM 100-150 more than the cheapest versions. I would have gotten these but they didn't have my size. Size is very important with football shoes. You can tell the middle tiers because they are more complexly built compared the lower tier versions. The material used is mid-tier calf skin leather or microfiber. Microfiber is a synthetic leather that was developed for better feel of the ball. It has pretty good feel, but not as good as the top tier shoes.

The base of this particular shoe has two plastic plates at the heel and forefoot and a carbon-fibre plate running underneath the arch of the foot connecting the two parts. The cheapest version has one full plate covering the entire foot. These shoes probably will last slightly longer than the lowest tier shoes due to the higher quality design of the shoe. The leather also feels quite strong, not like the tissue type leather of the high end shoes. You also get a decent feel for the ball compared to the lowest tier shoes.

Here are the Predator Absolados, the lowest tier shoe of the family:

Predator Absolados

These shoes are the cheapest versions of the predator series. They are simply constructed and look quite generic compared to the more extravagant designs of the ABS and powerswerves. They use synthetic or full grain leather. Actually the synthetic leathers these days provide quite decent feel. Also for weather in Malaysia, they are ideal as they absorb less water than real leathers.

I'm not too convinced that the shoes will last though. This particular synthetic leather they use seems quite a bit thinner than the nike's synthetic leather. The ball does slide off the shoe a bit when kicking, meaning you will have to kick the ball with little spin or the ball will fly off in a different direction. The top has very little grip. I took a look at the ABS versions of the shoe and concluded the grip on the top of the shoes were suffice to put spin on the ball. The top of the Absolados have almost no grip at all.

There you have it, I think the middle tier shoes may be absolutely worth it compared to the cheaper end of the shoes. Personally I love the predators, they fit my feet well and I can play decently with even the cheaper aboslados. I just have to adjust and try to kick straight on instead of putting any spin on the ball at all. My game doesn't really depend on technologies as I developed my skills from playing in cheap shoes. I'd recommend the second tier for the fact that quality looks much better than the absolados and is only a hundred more ringgit or so. The cheap ones cost around RM200 while the second tiers will be around RM300.

Earth hour - an april fools joke for some people

During Earth Hour, everyone turns off their lights. Well, If I was one of those people who got robbed during earth hour as the crime rate quadrupled during this time, I'd be ticked off as hell. A little early for April fool's eh?



Even in my apartment, there was a robbery. It might not have happened during Earth Hour, but the other residents didn't find out til the following day, so the exact time is unknown. But the robbery could have happened during earth hour.

Imagine, how stupid people would feel if they knew that they helped made it easier for theives to rob their neighbor's house by switching off their lights.

Cat Burglar

Mercurial veloci FG follow up

I've now had a chance to try them out on the field. In a lot of ways they are very good. The feel was much better compared to my last pair. The synthetic leather was quite decent especially compared to what I read about it. The only major problem was, the more I played in them, the more I felt uncomfortable. I had blisters! ouch! The shoe design doesn't leave much in mismatching foot sizes.

The blisters were on the right foot, which unfortunately is a little smaller than my left. The major problem is that the heel kept slipping up, causing my heel to blister. I truly think the shoe design isn't as forgiving as most boots if the feet aren't perfectly sized.

Well, I found out I wasn't the only one with blisters from the mercurial line of boots. I've read numerous postings on people having the exact same problem as me. Basically I had to wait till my heel callused over, then I wouldn't have any problems. Nah, no thanks.

I went back to adidas and bought the predators. I guess my feet are only meant for adidas! I wore them out for a couple of hours and didn't have much of a problem. The feel was almost similar to my old beat up pair. Possibly my old pair were based on the predators as well. so a lesson learnt. For football shoes, buy what you are familiar with. don't fix what ain't broke. If you are going to change boots, be careful that the feeling is not too different.

Nike Veloci Mercurial FG review

Well, I just bought new football boots. The previous ones finally bit the dust. I had one big chunk of dirt stuck between the plate and the bottom of the boot. More disgustingly, the mud soaked through the sole.

So I went to Komtar today, and bought the works: New shin guards, proper football socks, and more importantly new boots. They have a really good selection. But the prices are most likely average when I look online. But in Penang, they are probably as good a deal as you will get anywhere.

If anyone would like to know, the ones I bought are sort of a dumbed down version of the super expensive nike mercurials IV vapor. They cost about double to triple. They don't have the carbon fibre plating at the bottom, its plastic. They also don't have the single line stitching. The leather upper isn't as good as the more expensive type. Mercurials are worn by Cristiano Ronaldo and Didier Drogba. Apparently, the last 6 top scorers in the Premier League wore Mercurials.

Nike Veloci Mercurial FG

If the shoe costs around 200, they are the dumbed down versions of the expensive ones. All the lines have them, mercurials, t90s, predator. That is all they sell here because Penang people can't usually afford to blow RM600 plus on the super expensive versions.

But, having said that, the shoe feels great. The synthetic leather they use, I believe is better for wet and humid type weather. The way the shoe is built really looks like a track shoe; which is great because I do a lot of running, dribbling, and shooting. I hope it will last a lot longer than my previous shoes. The leather on top was getting chaffed from all the kicking.

Check out my leg, full football gear! lol. Pro.

Look wise, yeah it looks pretty more flashy than anything. But these were the least flashy I could find, believe it or not. I'm more used to buying the typical shoes, but I liked the way these were built. Great for dribbling and sprinting. The front spikes are smaller, which is a major plus because it helps you get off the line quicker. Hopefully my passing and shooting will be ok when I try them out this weekend.

Clubbing isn't so bad....

This is from Clubbing isn't so bad ;)

I've noticed less-social people have a general tendency to dislike bars and clubs. The attitude sometimes comes across as fairly intense and bitter as well, almost like they hold a grudge against the idea of clubbing. I don't hit the bars every weekend, but it's something I find fun when the chance comes up. I don't think going to them is as bad as some people make it out to be. I'll go into this idea below. I'll try to take a balanced approach of acknowledging clubbing isn't perfect, but also sticking up for it and pointing out where I think the appeal is. Like with some of my other articles, my general goal isn't really to convince you you must take part in a particular activity to do better socially, but rather to hopefully soften your view on it if it's overly negative.

True, True...lol all u clubbing haters are less sociable people :P

Clubbing definitely has its flaws

I'd be crazy to say there was nothing annoying about going to clubs. There are at least a dozen reasons to get put off by them. It's not hard to see how some people could decide it's not their thing.

• They can be overcrowded.
• They can be way too loud, often to the point where you can barely talk to anyone.
• They can be cheesy.
• They can be pretentious.
• They can be overpriced (cover charge/drinks/coat check/VIP section, etc.).
• The staff can be rude and arrogant.
• They can be stiflingly hot.
• They can be smelly and dirty.
• They may have annoying dress codes.
• They can sketchy and dangerous.
• The music can be awful.
• The atmosphere can be very superficial.
• You may have to wait forever to get a drink.
• The lights can be overly intense, annoying, and blinding.
• They can be full of drunk idiots.
• People may be stuck up, rude, obnoxious, or catty towards you.
• If you're a guy, some jerk may try to pick a fight with you.
• You may not directly get into a confrontation, but be near one when it happens and have your night ruined by the bad vibes it causes.
• If you're a girl you'll probably get groped, harassed, and hit on by idiots.
• If you go out a lot, and see the same people week after week, they can sometimes be a very vapid, unhealthy group of friends.
• You may have to wait in line for a long time (even worse if it was all a trick, and the place is dead once you get inside).

Even among people who like clubbing, these things sometimes get on their nerves. Sometimes their night will be ruined because of something that goes wrong.

Yep, name me a perfect event for socializing? Probably doesn't exist.

People who don't mind clubbing don't have as bad a reaction to the annoying parts

I've noticed people who like clubbing acknowledge its flaws, but don't get as bent out of shape about them as some of us do.

• They plain don't care about some things that other people find annoying (e.g., crowded conditions, how everyone is acting, cover charge, etc.)
• They see some of the annoyances more as minor nuisances than deal breakers. Like I remember going to clubs and getting very irritated at things like people jostling me, or the music being too loud. The friends I was with didn't seem as affected by it.
• They go in knowing what they can and can't do at clubs. They don't get ticked off because they can't have an in-depth conversation, because they never went in with the expectation that they could do that. I think one of the reasons I got annoyed at clubs in the past was that I almost believed there was the potential for me to, say, easily chat to someone, but I was being unfairly prevented from doing so. I lightened up and started to enjoy myself more when I realized that it just wasn't something you could do in that situation.
• They see the annoyances as coming with the territory. They realize some of the flaws of clubbing are a natural side-effect of the things that can make them fun.

Yeah, tell me about it. I think the disadvantages are really blown out of proportion unless a person has a serious health problem, or these things really cause them mental instability. Maybe clubbing haters are manic depressive...lol.

Reasons people go out to bars and clubs

So I covered the down sides. In my experience bars and clubs offer people plenty of reasons to go to them as well. I find people who dislike them tend to be dismissive of these reasons though. I'll get more into that afterwards. Here are the usual reasons people go clubbing.

• To dance.
• To hear music they like, through a good, loud sound system.
• To see a certain band or DJ play.
• To drink.
• To get out of the house and go somewhere.
• To go out and hang out with a few friends.
• To go out in a big group.
• To go out and see the other regulars and staff you know will be there.
• To go out and meet new people.
• For a chance to hook up with someone.
• To shoot some pool.
• To watch a game.
• Just to be in an interesting, stimulating environment (i.e., music, lights, decor, etc.)
• To blow off steam after a rough week of working or classes.
• To be out in a big group of people.
• To do drugs.
• To check a new place out and see what it's like.
• To be out in your 'scene' with like-minded people.
• To dress up and do something more glitzy than day-to-day life.
• To be somewhere that's cool and happening.

Yeah, lots of reasons that I like :)

"The things people do in clubs are shallow"

When you read the list above, did you catch yourself turning up your nose at any of the points? "Ugh, dancing is so mindless. Why do people like it?" That's the first way people who dislike clubbing tend to dismiss it. They see everything that draws people to clubs as shallow and below them. My main response to that is you don't have to like everything, but things like dancing and listening to good music are fun for their own sake. What's wrong with that? You probably do fun, pointless things other people don't see the big deal about too.

The other thing to watch out for is saying you don't like something for reasons that don't really have to do with the activity itself. I've covered this ego-cushioning thinking before, but here it is again:

• Thinking you don't like something because it makes you feel incompetent. e.g., "I suck at dancing, which makes me feel embarrassed. Whatever, dancing sucks."
• Thinking you don't like something because it makes you feel uncomfortable. e.g., "This place is too crowded, and everyone's so well dressed it intimidates me. I feel kind of uneasy. Screw it, this place is crap."
• Thinking you don't like something because you have a chip on your shoulder about the types of people who are typically seen to do it. e.g., "I hate those frat boys who think guys like me are losers. They like going to bars. Bars suck."
• Thinking you don't like something because you resent the pressure to do it. e.g., "Everyone always wants to go clubbing, but I'm not that into it... Well now I really don't like."
• Thinking you don't like something because it offers rewards, but you're bitter and frustrated because you haven't been able to get those rewards for yourself. e.g., "People supposedly go to clubs to meet people, but no one's ever been interested in meeting me. Who cares, anyone who goes to clubs probably sucks anyways."

Of course compared to reading philosophy, things like dancing and doing shots actually are shallow. But there's no law that says you have to be doing deep, thoughtful things 100% of the time. Everyone has things they do just for the fun of it.

Lol...yeah. Granted you will meet all types of people in clubs. Most people who think these things probably met others in clubs just like them. I've met fun people as well. Thank goodness.

"The only reason people really go to clubs is to..."

This is the second way people write off clubbing. Their reasoning is that while people supposedly go clubbing to dance or whatever, they really have a less flattering ulterior motive. The implication is that no one could really like what clubbing has to offer for its own sake, the only reason they're in it is for something else. The one's I've heard are:

• People only really go clubbing to try and get laid.
• Girls really only go clubbing for the attention they get from men.
• Guys only really go to bars because they want to act macho and get into fights.
• Girls really only go clubbing to get free drinks and to feed their egos.
• People only really go clubbing to get wasted.
• People only really go clubbing to feel superior and to judge other people.

Don't get me wrong, tons of people go clubbing with the sole purpose of trying to hook up. Many more people don't go out completely for one of the reasons above, but it does factor into their thinking. Also, certain bars are known for being places where you only go if you're looking for a one-night stand, or to do ecstasy, or whatever.

Not every last person who goes clubbing has these motivations though. It's negative and cynical to paint everyone with the same brush. A lot of times if someone wants to go to a club to dance with their friends they really do just want to dance. I have a girlfriend and going to bars still appeals to me. I didn't lose all interest in them as soon as I got into a relationship.

Clubs are mostly full of good, regular people

A common sentiment about bars and clubs is that they're full of annoying, superficial people. I can't deny some club goers fit this description, but I think most of them are just like anyone else. My logic is that most people are alright, and a good proportion of them go to bars and clubs, so if you go to a place full of people, they can't all be empty-headed and irritating. There's also the argument that you've probably been to clubs before, and you're not a moron, so it's reasonable to assume other people are in the same boat.

The environment tends to make everyone sure seem shallow though:

• People usually dress up when they go out. That makes everyone look like the stereotypical shallow clubber, even if they're law students by day. Otherwise down-to-earth guys put on their shiny shoes and stripey shirts. Normal, level-headed girls put on their sparkly make-up and revealing tops.
• People who are clubbing are admittedly there to have some mindless fun. So of course they won't be showing the more thoughtful sides of their personality. Even if they wanted to, the noise level and general craziness going on doesn't make it easy. They're joking around, being silly, letting off steam, etc.
• Not everyone drinks, but most of the people are either drunk or at least a little buzzed. That tends to obviously make you act stupider.
• If you're out, and you run into someone who's acting rude or obnoxious, that one person obviously stands out in your mind. But you don't notice that the other two hundred people there that are behaving, and who are probably just as annoyed with the douchebags as you are.
• Girls who go out can get pretty hassled. As a result they can adopt a more stuck-up persona as a kind of armor against all the losers who bother them.
• Plenty of people who go clubbing feel shy or out of their element, but they look around and everyone else seems to have it together, so they put on a brave face and look confident as well. Sometimes it's the least likely people who are feeling insecure.

Definitely cynical. I've met good people in clubs that are absolutely friendly and great. It's such a stereotype that even I believed until I started meeting more and more people in the club.

So take that all you clubbing haters. Clubbing is as good an event as any to meet people, not to mention some hotties :P

Things I love and hate about japan

Hey everyone! I just got back from Japan. It's a love/hate thing with me and foreign countries.

Things I love about japan:

1. Girls wear skirts in sub-zero temperature.


I think girls in skirts look extremely hot for some reason. And guess what, in Japan, they love skirts too! So much, they'll wear it in any weather. I saw more skirts than pants walking around the city...lol.

2. Go anywhere, and they will have good sushi and japanese food.



The sushi in Japan is top notch and you could go anywhere to get excellent sushi and Japanese food. Almost everywhere I went had excellent Japanese food.

3. Best mountains for skiing in this side of the world.



Japan ski resorts are on par with the best in the world. I've been to some fantastic ski resorts and some un-fantastic ones and the really good ones first have to have the mountain (800m+ of vertical skiable terrain from the top chairlift to the base), the snow (3m+), and then the facilities. Japan ski resorts have all three plus it's relatively close to fly to compared to US or Europe. In the asia and australia, I've only seen Japan live up to the mark of world class ski resorts.

4. Best subway system ever.



In Malaysia, KL, the LRT is only two train cars long and there is only like two or three lines. The monorail is also there, but it has even fewer cars and also only two train cars long. The wait time is ten to fifteen minutes long!

One train car in Tokyo equals two of the lrt cars here, and each train has like ten train cars, about 20x the length of the lrt here! They also stop by very frequently every 5 minutes. Then, they have 9 subway lines which go all around tokyo and cover almost every area around the city center and further out.

5. Super friendly people.

Everywhere shop I went to, people greeted me. And I must say the way they greet me is very non threatening, different from other places. I think the Japanese language sounds quite pleasing to the ear.





Things I don't like about Japan:

1. Not a lot of english speakers.

Yes. I would love it if I could communicate with them but in English =)

2. Food outside of sushi isn't that great.

Call me a bit critical, but food outside of sushi lacks some zest. The Japanese curry isn't as flavorful as other ones (malaysian, indian, thai). The cooked dishes lack some of the flavorful creativity of the southeast asian styles. Mostly everything is soy sauce or miso based. And, they are stingy with servings. People with bigger appetites have to stuff themselves with rice.

3. As polite as they are, most Japanese keep to themselves even if it overrides common sense.

In most countries, people don't mind getting on the chairlift with another person, even though he or she is a complete stranger. Chairlifts are built for more than one person after all and people behind get to wait less for their turn to come. In Japan it's different, people would rather not sit with another even if it means making everyone in behind wait longer for the lift. And even worse, they give you funny looks if you get on with them. -.-