Bird Park & Orchid Garden

This is it, my final trip at Orchid Garden and Bird Park in Kuala Lumpur. Find both place as its own unique way to share its experience to the visitors; for example, the Orchid Garden share its beauty and peace while the Bird Park share its natural harmony and wild atmosphere. Compare to those 2 locations, I find Bird Park more interesting than the Orchid Garden because of the chance of going up-close with many different large size bird.

Focus and Emotion



There are many display of bird design dustbin all over the bird park (just like the one on the first photo) and it made me laugh at first glance when I saw one near the entrance. So the dustbin has successfully brought up the sense of emotion. In addition, bird feeding at it own feeding ground (like the peacock on the peacock on second photo) has greatly direct the attention of the visitors.

Space/Form and Orientation



There are couple of arches and pathways in Orchid Garden has successfully direct your eyes and guide your interest to follow the pathway (first photo). This shows the arches and pathway has show sense of direction.

On the Bird Park side, you'll see a big group of flamingos at the pond sleeping peacefully without being disturb by visitors even though they are being confined in a big cage (second photo). This shows the flamingos is being natural living as their own habitat and show the sense of belonging.

Somewhere in bird park, there are gathering of large on a pathway and there you can see and compare the size between different species of birds (third photo). This shows the sense of scale.

Knowledge and Task



In Bird Park, there a couple of sign board and information board that answer your question of what type and species of bird you are looking at; which will allow the visitors to better understand the bird and made the experience knowledgeable.

Royal London Circus

When Prof. Harold showed me Cirque de Soile ( Circus of the Sun), it reminds me my first circus when I was 9 years old which I was just primary 3 (1998). On that time, all my classmates and I received a special price for ticket to Malaysia Royal London Circus. Well compare to Cirque de Soile, The Royal London Circus is not really as creative and as innovative as Cirque de Soile because The Royal London Circus doesn't deal much with art, exaggerating costumes, state of the art technology and storyline but they they uses animals like elephant, ponies and lion, funny clown, death-defying stunts and magic shows. Recently, I surfed the net looking for news regarding The Royal London Circus and I feel sad because the circus doesn't do much of tour and shows anymore compare my old days. Although the popularity of The Royal London Circus is no match against the Cirque de Soile but the Royal London Circus is my first circus shows and I always remember my first experience.

Here some picture I found in the net about the circus. Its not much but at least a glimpse and reminder to those been to Royal London Circus.

Exploring Second Life: Part 5 & Final

For my final exploration, I find myself in Straylight and it is beautiful. Like all fantasy stories, Straylight has all the criteria needed to describe what a fantasy world look like- beautiful scenery, bright but soft glow of sun ray, colorful ambience and weird display of items that doesn't exist in reality. In addition, visiting this world also made you feel comfortable and inspiring with imagination.


Nice waterfall, time for bath?


Bontanical entry, quite festive


Lots of tree for sale: green tree, autumn red tree, Japanese sakura pink tree


Ouu, White Tree of Gondor...I want that on my backyard


Yikes! Spooky


Me playing Elven music instrument

Exploring Second Life: Part 4

Cruise Ship is one of my most favorite vacation and so far I have been to 4 cruise ships in my life - Empress, Superstar Gemini, Superstar Virgo and Superstar Aries; I cant wait to go for the next cruise ships adventure. And there I am, in SS Galaxy Cruise Ship... well, virtually (at least a taste of a virtual cruise ship before I go for the real one). As I enter the ship, not only I discover that the ship as big as Titanic, but it also beautiful design as if it is a dream ships because everything from architectural design to decorations, it is indeed a spectacular view.

Here the picture of me taking the cruise...

That is A BIG miniature ship.


Here I am with a realistic fountain


an Art Gallery...in a SHIP!!


A movie theater in a ship...NO WAY!!


Arcade room, which you have to pay to play :(


Awesome swimming pool on the upper deck

Exploring Second Life: Part 3

For my third visit, I explored the world of Geenie Home and man... I'm so small. In this world, everything from furniture, windows, hardware, lights and the room is the humongous; in addition, not only everything is huge, every item is perfectly scaled and well proportioned which creates the illusion of the visitors being small.

Here a few photo of me exploring this world



Oh, looks like I'm not the only "unexpected" visitor


HEY!! I found something...nevermind, forget what I said


Flight Racing game with hoverboard. Too bad you need to pay to play

Exploring Second Life: Part 2

Since now I'm packing a nice tuxedo, I'm off for exploring. I began my visit at International Space Flight Museum and I teleported on a platform where I'm surrounded by dark space, stars a model space craft. Whenever I get near a model contraption, nearby information is becoming visible allowing visitors to read and learn. There are also several miniature planet displayed which is for the visitor to click on it a be teleport to that particular planet. From there, more information regarding the planet pop out and more things to read and I must say I learned a lot of space knowledge I never even thought of it from there. Later, if you are confident with your mental briliance, you can test youself at one the quiz booth to answer several question regarding space.



I put myself on a test. I got 3 out of 10. DANG!!



Hey, there something about our moon I didn't know



Oops, I forgot my parachute

During my space exploration, I accidentally fell into a hole in the middle and the next you know it, you falling like a meteorite and slam your face on a metal platform on earth. When I was falling 100 mph, I can't help myself laughing of the silliness and I realized the platform I was on was a space platform; so practically I was diving from space without parachute.



My new friend

After my long fall, I met a guy who witness my painful descent and come up to me and say hi. He told me he is a regular SL player and he has his own share of adventure and he is kind enough to give me some tips and some good place to visits. He recommend me to go to Geenie Home, the SS Galaxy Cruise Ship and the Straylight for my next visits. After a long chat with my new pal, I'm off to continue exploring.



I was sitting one of the chair watching movie

In my opinion, the internation space museum is rich with space information and it is suitable for all who are interested in space and astronomy.

Exploring Second Life: Part 1

Before I go out and start exploring, the first went into my head is that " Hey, I can't go out like this! I need a new outfit." So I went to MetaRL to do a little shopping. The place is enormous and has so much things to choose, from the 80s suit to punk rock hair style and its all free, well almost all free.


That me zooming around to browse all the merchandise

When you done browsing the ground floor, you can start your search for the second floor. Although the place is big, the area is kind of plain because there so much wide space left out in the open for the user to display their product for sale.


Me on 2nd floor

Finally after 45 minutes of searching, I finally found the suit I was looking for; a free black tux. It is kind of sad because there are not many people come to shop n this place; maybe is not as popular as the one that require real money. For my first visit I'll say that is tiresome because it took a loooong time for me to find something I like and free, but still is worth it because now I am prepared for a virtual adventure.

Yourself! Fitness

Tired of being criticize of being fat? You want to exercise but are you reluctant to go outdoor? Is all the exercise equipment you want is big and expensive? Then you need YOURSELF! FITNESS.





OK, enough with the promotional speech. Yourself! Fitness is a PC, XboX and PS2 simulation exercise program developed by Respondesign in Portland, Oregon at 5th of March 2005. This program is suitable for all age and comes with many languages which allow users around the world to use it to exercise in their own room. The program contain highly detail model of the environment and background like gym, garden or the zen shrine and very realistic model of a pretty virtual fitness assistant "Maya". Anytime when a user feel like exercising like after awaken from good night sleep or during the evening, the user can just turn on their console and play the program. Yourself! Fitness is a first step for this type of program because a few years later a similar exercise program like the Eye Toy: Kinetic for the PS2 and WII Fit for WII which both uses motion sensor technology to detect the user movement which allow the console to tell the user whether they did it right or wrong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJFNL8a9qPM&feature=related

To me, I find this program user friendly, convenient, beautifully design and cheap, but I also find it kind of encouraging people to stay home more often. However, most importantly, this is a mark of the advancement of technology which allow consumers to do same thing but with different experience and I believe that many other activity will be replace by all sorts of different devices and provide different experiences for users.

EVE ONLINE

As always, games is my passion, games is my vision and most of all, games is my life. For that, only the most exciting, most thrill and most unique, the best of the best games are the one able to fill my hunger and satisfaction for fun gameplay. So I would like to introduce another game which provide the gamers with whole new experience of gameplay. If I asked you, what is the best games in the world? People will immediately answer "MMORPG"

For those people out there who is asking themselves what in the world is MMORPG, then they most probably living under a rock for decades because the game genre has been booming since year 2000. MMORPG stands for "massive multiplayer online role playing game" which is like all the typical online fantasy MMORPG games like World of Warcraft, Runescape, Everquest, Cabal, Lineage and many other countless unknown Chinese, Korean and Japanese MMORPG games. MMORPG is a game where player login into a server and "lived" in an online virtual world where player live, play, make money, spend money, lose money, interact with other online player, kill unknown wandering creature, DIE and live again. Most players of MMORPG just play the game for sake of having fun and play with a group of online buddies, but some player uses MMORPG to make money by making and buying merchandises and sell it off for better price and convert the virtual money into a real world money. You almost say that MMORPG is a game where player literally "live" in the virtual world and do all sort of same things where you can do it in the real world.

Although some MMORPG is better and more popular than the other like the Wold of Warcraft which earn the title of the current best MMORPG in the world which has warping 11 million players pay and play around the world they; however, they all have the similar way of playing, which is start at level 1, trained your avatar by slaughtering monster, spend cash to buy bigger and more powerful arsenal, do trading, dueling, chatting with other player, embark on a quest and repeat all these all over again.





I would like to introduce one MMORPG like no others, which called EVE ONLINE. What different between this MMORPG and the other is that EVE has different approch in concept and gameplay than any other online games. Most online games play by keeping your feet on the ground, but only handful like EVE made you play by putting into vast void of DARK SPACE in our Milky Way galaxy.





You start build yourself an avatar face and a ship to start your level 1 voyage. The world of EVE consist of 5 faction spread across the galaxy and they are Amarr Empire, the Gallente Federation, the Minmatar Republic, the Caldari State and the Jove Empire and they are at war with each other. As a player you can be a lone wolf merchant, miner, bounty hunter or pirates which allow you to do whatever you want with nobody is bossing you around but you are on your own when you are in trouble. However if you choose by joining of the faction, you will be part of a organisation where you will be there assets like be their miners or be part of their armada, however, if you are attack by one clan of enemy faction, you'll have someone higher up to back you up like a huge squardron of space fighters or a battle cruiser. Besides that, you'll actually be part of a faction to faction political conflict like you have in your country and also be part of a ALL OUT WAR by participating in a Mega Size space battle where a faction fleet vs another faction fleet in a bright, thrilling, scary and EPIC battle you never experiencing before. In a battle, you may be one of the fighter pilot having a dogfight duel with another pilot or a commanding officer of a giant carrier giving out order to your fellow pilot while engaging the enemy.

I must say, compare to other MMORPG, EVE Online is much more real life experiencing than other MMORPG; take World of Warcraft for example, you may play as a knight doing quest, kill monster and interact with your fellow friends but it only allow you to experiencing it alone or in a small groups or clan. Whereas in EVE world you play it in a political scale as if you are actually serving a country and everything in EVE is part of a history making like, clan establishment, total destruction of a clan, a coup detat of fellow members to the higher ups just like the political event like ours in the real life. In addition, the space battle is extraordinary because you will see laser fire, missiles and explosion flashes all over the dark space like electric fireworks and watch your teammate and your enemy ships explode into oblivion and during the fight, you will fell like Luke Skywalker piloting a fighter single-handedly take out enemy ships one by one or as Darth Vader giving out orders while standing on main deck. I hope there are more online games like EVE are developed in the future because online games like EVE could be the FUTURE.

Watch this, you'll get the idea

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08hmqyejCYU

Spectacular Performance

So far in my life, I have only watch two concert; one is by Ichirou Mizuki and the other is by May'n during AFA 2008 (Anime Festival Asia) held in Singapore. AFA 2008 is a 2 days anime convention event which held on Saturday and Sunday ( 22nd & 23rd November). Like any other anime convention around the world, AFA has plenty of activity like figurine display, digital art demonstration, goodies which imported all the way from Japan for sale, karaoke and cosplay competition and Q&A with well known Japanese company director and artist. AFA pack the schedule and the hall with all these event until Grand Finale at night which there will be a concert by those two singer that I mentioned.


This is Ichirou Mizuki, fans called him ANIKI means Big Brother


ANIKI is mind controlling the audience


May'n, LIVE in Singapore ads poster


May'n, a now 20 year old Japanese idol


Not my picture but I'm somewhere in there watching the concert

Although that my first concert, I feel absolutely overwhelm their performance because during the concert. you follow aniki hand genture, watch May'n singing and 2 female dancers dance along side with May'n and the hall is overbooked with fans to watch the performance. I haven't watch an american LIVE performances before so I can't make a comparison of which is the best but still AFA concert is spectacular enough for me.

Petrosains and Aquaria in KLCC

It's been a while since I visited the KLCC Petrosains since I was Primary 6 (12 years old) which is 8 years ago. Some still remains the same like the ride a the beginning and the end of the visit, experiments and video clip in the Petrosains. But there are improvement like new equipments and new software to explore. I don't know about the other students but I visited much better place like the National Science Center in KL which look like a mega-size DOME and a science center in Singapore which I can't remember the name. However, wherever the location may be, the way to experience is still the same. Petrosains is divided into sections and each sections has its own presentation and its own way to allow the visitor to experience like the prehistoric section where there are rocks and robotic dinosaur (which can BM pretty well) which allow the visitor to witness the magnificent display of dinosaur statues and plant which made you feel like you are in the prehistoric time and there are also some equipment and computer which allow the user to learn, to experiment and to exprience.



Besides Petrosains on the top floor of KLCC SURIA, there another interesting place on the lower ground floor called Aquaria (which I didn't know about it existence until that day. This is my first visit to a huge indoor aquarium and it is awesome (It is always awesome for every first time) Great decoration, great display, humongous fish that can swallow you whole and the best part is the Live Feeding Show which 2 divers will dive into the big aquarium and each diver bring along 2 bucket of fishes ( I think is mackerel) to feed the aquatic creature in the aquarium. What so great about the live feeding is that the audience would be able to see how the aquatic creatures feed, how they interact with the divers and how big is the "monster" by comparing it size with the size of a normal human divers. It was unforgettable experience and I can't wait to visit another indoor aquarium and swim with the giants...maybe the one in Penang or Singapore.

The Outbreak

As you already know, I'm one hell of a gamer. I played anything- from console like PS3 and PC to board and card gamer like Magic the Gathering, Monopoly and Poker (well except for video game sports and racing), so some games are "same old, same old stuff" and some games are "Hey! that different". Well I'm gonna introduce you a game that different than anything you seen before because this game its not played using board or card or any console and not really 100% PC. It is called "Survive the Outbreak". It is a game that you play online (I'm not talking about online RPG which you glue your butt on chair and play for 24 hours a day)using web browser. It is unique because it is a Movie game which you play by choosing the fate of the main character. You start by following the storyline of the movie/game then somewhere in the movie there are parts where you stand between the "crossroad" of the story which you have to choose your character fate; one might help you continue on with your journey while the other lead you to your fatal sudden end which forces you to restart your story from the previous checkpoint. Your goal is to guide your character through series of checkpoint to your "TRUE" ending. For "Survive the Outbreak", your job is to choose the right pathway for your character to survive in the world infested with flesh eating zombie. Unfortunately this game has been taken down by due to financial problem but it is hosted in you tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_XIvIl_28s
Here is the link, go try and see are you smart enough to Survive the Outbreak

"Survive the Outbreak" is a type of game which you are less on the type that coordinate your hands and keyboard and mouse, but more on the type that you hold a bowl of popcorn on one hand and a remote on the other. To me it is a very unique way of playing experience which I think it would special if this kind of game genre made into a 1 hour length movie gameplay in a DVD which you can play with your family and friend on a big screen TV.

Disney World

After watching picture after picture (screenshot in the internet and photo in internet and my parent photo album)and the video that Prof. Harold shown us about Disney World. Well I've been to Disneyland Hong Kong and it is quite big; however on the other hand compare to Disney World, Disneyland Hong Kong is consider a "family store to a Hypermarket". I also remember my parents told me stories of them courting in Florida for 5 days and they spend 3 days alone in Disneyworld by spending their nights in one of the hotel and they came back to Malaysia on the 5th day and last day in Florida is not that they have done exploring the entire Disneyworld, but is because they were tired and they miss home. Wow... I mean, 3 days and they still haven't finish playing and that was 30 years ago which most of the attraction haven't build yet and the EPCOT is just completed. That's then, now is now which is 3 times the size and still growing. I wonder how am I gonna explore the entire Disneyworld in the future... spend 5 days there and run from one site to another like "this will the last time I enjoy myself" kind of running maybe.

The picture and video about Disneyworld is astounding; it like a place of paradise for kids and adult together- A place where fantasy exist. I must say Walt Disney is truly a genius and although he may not be able to see his WORLD developed I bet he'll be very proud to see his vision comes to life. Everything from attraction, artwork, details, secret subway and actor (staff in costume suit) are playing the big role to make the fantasy real. From the visual media, Disneyworld inspire me and made me understand how much it takes and the commitment to make something in the imagination into reality. I really envy my parents man... well, another addition into my LIFE to do list. Go to Disneyworld Florida with beloved family... and a girlfriend if I can find one which made it a perfect place for courting.

Imax experience

Well, its been a long time since I go to Times Square, but this is my first experience to watch Imax.

I have to say it was a HECK of an adventure because by comparing to my previous experience with a regular cinema, I have never experience anything like it.

Comparison:
1) The regular cinema is only a flat screen wheres the Imax cinema is curve which allow the audience to watch it with the maximum field of vision.

2) The quality of Imax picture is astounding compare to the regular one which allow it to put it on "full-screen" without noticing an pixelation and possess fine detail.

3) The experience of Imax is realistic as if like you are "IN" the movie itself.

After my first experience watching Imax, I felt that Imax is indeed an great achievement in visual entertainment and I would like to watch Imax movie more often than regular cinema. Although the price for a Imax movie is expensive but the experience is well worth it. Maybe I try to get myself watch 3D Imax, I wonder it would feel like? hmm....

Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium War

The lecturer once told me that computer games is one of the good medium for us to interact and to experience and I agree to that statement. However there is one game that I have been playing for quite some times and I didn't realise this game provided us with unique way of playing and experience compare to the other game in the market. It is called Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars made by Electronic Art Company. It is a RTS (real time strategy) game like no other because it contain live-action movie during, before and after the mission in every chapter of a campaign. They use live-action as medium to tell the story and it made the player feel as if they are the "REAL" commander in a "REAL" live situation. Without the live-action cut scene, the game will be almost similar as the rest of the RTS game in the market.

Check out some of the video cutscene in You Tube.

There are 2 factions: The world defence organisation called GDI and the world terrorist orgaisation called Brotherhood of NOD. There is another faction called SCRIN which is an alien faction but it does not have any live-action cutscene.

Example of GDI video cut scene
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQFHdD8Zspw&feature=related

Example of NOD video cut scene
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFn4ElLFmxY

Well, a new blog, because there is a new subject because there is a new lecturer... GREAT

Well a new subject for a new semester - Experiential Studies. When I sat down on the chair in class, I was expecting Puan Sri or Mr. Mazlan or Puan Mastura to be my lecturer, well I was wrong... it is Prof. Harold, the Dean himself. I was surprise and I am kinda of glad that Prof. Harold because he is a Dean and I heard he is an excelent lecturer, so I sort of have high expectation from the lecturer.

I find that the first class is great and Prof. Harold have shown me a lot of media that I have never experience before like artistic archicture to a new way to enjoy movies. I bet this is going be one of the kind class that I will not sleep.

Before the class I always thougt that I have seen almost all new things that the world has to offer like 3D movies, gadgetry , games, dinosaur...and so on; but after my first class of expriential studies, I found out that the world is bigger than I thought it would be because the lecturer have shown me something beyond my imagination as if like it only exist in dreams (Im not exagerating). After the class, the only thought in my head was, I want to know more. I'm looking forward for the next class