by Kingsley on December 29, 2009
I am a huge fan of Tim Ferriss’s book, The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded and Updated. I bought the first edition in 2007, and last week I bought the new edition in the Kindle book format. I talked about it here. I am using the Kindle app on my iPhone to read it, but it takes much adjusting to read long text on a small screen, unlike on pages, which I would have finished reading long ago. I am sure the Kindle device will make reading much easier and more pleasant than on the iPhone, but I am not committing myself to a Kindle, yet, since Apple should be announcing its own tablet device soon, which could do so much more.
by Kingsley on October 10, 2008
Remember how dead my plant was after the last typhoon, where there wasn’t a single leaf left alive? Well, after I stripped clean the dead leaves and branches, and continued to water and fertilize it, it has miracously started to come back to life. The new leaves are green and young and full of life. They’re sprouting from new and old branches that look strong as ever. It’s still a long way from what it used to be–I called it “the tree”–but as long as the typhoons stay away, There’s hope my neighbor won’t be able to see right through my balcony into my home, or vice versa, as it was the original intention of getting the tree: to fend off nosey neighbors.
by Kingsley on June 3, 2008
I put my Roomba to work for the very first time today. I bought it yesterday and let it fully charge overnight. It turns out to be the smartest, most adorable vacuum cleaner ever. It has no trouble going in and out of the bathroom and kitchen, even though they have a ledge. Yet, it knows not to climb the ledge to the balcony. Since my home is small, the Roomba cleans every room many times with ease. The only trouble I have is that sometimes it gets stuck on the base of the barstool. But when it does, it stops immediately, until I move the stool slightly out of the way, then it starts roaming again. Finally, when it’s running out of juice, it docks itself back to the charger. Right after, I checked over with a dust mop and the cloth was clean, not even a strand of hair on it. Then I mopped the floor with water, and the water in the bucket was clean, too. This is the most happy I am with a home appliance, so much that I already threw away my old vacuum.
by Kingsley on June 2, 2008
Just received my Roomba 530 today. Let’s say it’s a housewarming gift for myself, so that I don’t have to do any vacuuming. It’s pricey at HK$3,280, especially compared to some China-made robotic vacuums that look eerily like Roomba at half the price. But I also did enough research prior to know that just cause it looks the same doesn’t mean it works the same. My customer’s wife bought a generic one through her credit card promo, and said that it got stuck under a furniture but kept running till it toasted itself, all the while they were away. I hope my Roomba is smarter than that. If not, I can set Virtual Walls (came with two) to block off areas that are off-limit to Roomba. Right now, it’s sitting in the corner tugged in its Home Base charging for the very first time. I’ll be able to put it to the test when I get up tomorrow.
by Kingsley on May 24, 2008
Last night was the first night I slept in my new home. It’s comfortable, but I didn’t sleep well. I left my balcony door opened, because it’s a lot cooler, but I was worried someone could climb in. My old home had a metal gate, a door, and four locks, this new place has only one door and two locks. But then my old building had one old watchman and many break-ins. This new project has guards and attendants on every corner it seems.
It’s my insecurity and something I have to get used to. Luckily, I slept really well during the day.
by Kingsley on May 23, 2008
Finally moved into my new home today. I bought it last October, but didn’t get around to move till just now. Whoever thought (my sister, Ada, for example) moving is good is insane. It’s hard work physically and mentally, because you have to pack and move things, and also decide what to keep and what to throw away. I didn’t want to throw away anything when I was packing, but now that I’m unpacking in my new home, I don’t want to keep any old stuff. Damn, I just paid HK$2,600 for laborers to move junk from one place to another. See what I mean by hating to move?
by Kingsley on May 22, 2008
If you were ever a fan of Indiana Jones, you’ll love “The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” It jots your memory as you watch, even after 19 years, because the characters and settings are so familiar, yet it’s a whole other story this time around. I won’t spoil the plot since it’s hours away before its premier in the U.S.
So Indy is a lot older, but he still rocks, and I hope he comes back for more.