What I would do if I lived in the Olympics Village

Have I ever dreamt about being a world class athlete in the Olympics? Of course.

olympics village rooms

However, for me the experience is not about winning medals and breaking records (although all that is good and well). It’s about living in the Olympics Village and meeting all these people from different countries and cultures.

There will be 204 estimated nations participating in the 2012 London Olympics!

olympics village

I’ll love to pop over to a different country’s living quarters every day – talk to them, eat what they eat, hear stories about life in their home country.

I don’t know if that’s against the rules (it probably is) but wouldn’t it be interesting to hear what they have to say and see what a gymnast eats vs say, a weight lifter?

olympics cultures

That’s what I’ll do if I’m in the Olympics Village – spend some time in each nation’s quarters so I’ll get to know their culture better. I reckon it’ll be the best part and imagine the stuff I’ll be able to write about…

…or make videos about. 😀

Remember the Samsung Global Blogger contest I blogged about?

It’s closing soon on the 29th April and here’s what they will be looking for in your video audition:

  • Confidence and energy in front of the camera
  • A passion for your subject matter
  • Imagination and originality
  • A good sense of humor
  • A social butterfly – do you use Twitter? Or talk to the world on your own blog?
  • The ability to tell a story well through video and the written word

Here’s Jamie Oliver expounding a bit on it. You might also want to see their tips on making a great video.

I’ll love to be one of the chosen ones. It’ll be so much fun to be able to go there and represent Malaysia in covering the London 2012 Olympics from my own point of view, getting all the interesting bits about this penultimate sports event and the festivities surrounding it.

If you’re interested to apply, get on over to the Samsung Global Blogger contest to find out how you can get a chance to win a trip to London during the Olympics! It’s not too late.

You’ll be in the thick of all the action!

My video is coming up soon…wish me luck! 🙂

I wanna go for the London Olympics!

Dominique Moceanu

I’ve always wanted to go to the Olympics. My first experience with the Olympics was when I was 14 and watched every artistic gymnastics event to see if Dominique Moceanu was performing during the 1996 Atlanta Games. It was just on television but I had a *huge* crush on her.

I taped her feats and cheered when she won. I watched and re-watched her floor exercise – the one that she did with the background song The Devil Came Down to Georgia. I even joined her fan club. I was a card holding t-shirt wearing Dominique Moceanu fan!

I’m mildly embarrassed to admit this now, but I even wrote her letters.

Moceanu

Funny story, there was this feature going on at The Star at the same time asking teenagers to submit what they think of the Olympics and I did. The editor cut out most of my putting-her-on-a-pedestal stuff but some of it got in and I received RM 50 for my efforts.

I didn’t even know they had a prize if you get published. It was, in effect, my first paid writing assignment.

Anyway, as I grew up, I was more interested in track and field but I still watch gymnastics and the best part for me was always the opening ceremony.

archer

When I was 24, I was mesmerized by the archer shooting a flaming arrow to light up the Olympics flame in the opening ceremony when the Games returned to Athens, Greece. I swore I’ll be in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics. I went to Guilin two years later instead. I promised myself I’ll make it for the London 2012 Olympics and this time I did go to Londontwice!

I went in 2010 and 2011. 😡

london

Alas, it looks like I’ll have to wait another 4 years before I can attend the Olympics in person since it’s so late in the game (pun intended) that all the tickets and accommodations for the Olympics would be all sold out. T_T

…and then I received this tasty morsel of news.

Samsung is running a contest where you can win a trip to London during the Olympic Games. All you need to do is to submit a 30 second video in English of you telling them why you would be great at hunting out all the best stories London has to tell during the Olympics.

There’s a list of criteria that they’re looking for and the contest ends on 29th April but I’m here to proclaim that:

It is not too late!!!

Read about the Samsung Global Blogger contest for more details and go grab your digicams everyone! I’ll be doing one too. 😀

Samsung GALAXY Note – the phone-tablet hybrid

notebook pencil

I get a lot of questions about what I’m doing right now. I’m actually a freelance writer. I do assignments for a wide range of publications around the world.

Now, this is all well and good, but as anyone can tell you, the tools of the trade for a writer is…

(No, not a notebook and a pencil, that was 20 years ago)

It’s a tablet.

However, I’ve always found tablets a bit clunky to carry around. I have to bring a special tote bag when I interview people and cover events and it’s just a bit too unwieldy. I need something a bit smaller and yet does everything a tablet can.

samsung galaxy note

Thus, I’ve been eying the new Samsung GALAXY Note with a lot of interest. I have been hearing a lot of good things about the new it and the first thing that impressed me was the size:


Samsung GALAXY Note – Portability

It fits in your pocket! The same goes for all smartphones but what differentiates the Samsung GALAXY Note is the sheer size of the screen. It’s a 5.3-inch HD WXGA resolution (1,280×800) screen!

That makes it just about perfect for work – you can slip it inside your pocket but the screen is still large enough so you don’t have to squint whenever you type.

Samsung GALAXY Note full specifications:

Network

  • HSPA+ up to 21Mbps 850/900/1900/2100
  • 4G LTE
  • EDGE/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900

Processor

  • 1.4GHz Dual Core Processor

Display

  • 5.3” WXGA (1280 x 800) screen
  • HD Super AMOLED

screen

Platform

  • Android™ 2.3 (Gingerbread)

android gingerbread

Camera

  • Main(Rear) : 8 MP with LED Flash / Front : 2 MP
  • Action Shot, Beauty, Panorama Shot, Smile Shot

camera

Video

  • 1080p Full HD video recording & playback
  • Recording: 1080p @ 24~30fps/
  • Playback: 1080p @ 30fps
  • Codec: MPEG4/ H.263/ H.264/ DivX, Xvid, WMV, VC-1

Audio

  • Codec : MP3, AAC, AMR, WMA, WAV, FLAC, OGG
  • Music Player with SoundAlive
  • 3.5mm Ear Jack, Stereo FM Radio with RDS

Multi Input

  • Full touch
  • + S Pen (Advanced smart pen)

s-pen

Connectivity

  • Bluetooth® technology v 3.0 + HS
  • USB 2.0 HOST
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct

Sensor

  • Accelerometer, Digital compass, Proximity, Barometer, Light

Memory

  • 16GB Internal memory
  • + microSD (up to 32GB)

Size

  • 146.85 x 82.95 x 9.65 mm, 178g

size

Amazing right?

The Samsung GALAXY Note is the most talked about Android phone on the market right about now. I can see how the Polaris Office works for me too:


Samsung GALAXY Note – Polaris Office

It has the full range of features you’ll expect to find in an office productivity suite on the PC. It’s perfect for someone like me who writes for a living! It’s compatible with the Microsoft Office suite, has handwriting recognition and I can just send off articles to my editor right from the phone itself.

Also, for those moments when you feel a need to catch up with your friends on your social feed, there’s always the Social Hub and Reader Hub:


Samsung GALAXY Note – Social Hub & Reader Hub

It’s perfection! The Samsung GALAXY Note is just the thing I need for my work (and play) – it’s not too big, not too small, and does everything I need it to.

This feature packed pocket tablet launched on 11/11/11 in Malaysia. I looked around and the retail price for it is RM 2,299. You can get it for cheaper if you sign up with one of the telcos.

galaxy note

I really love what the Samsung GALAXY Note has to offer. I wish I have one so I can carry a single device instead of a tablet and a smartphone. It has an awesome 8 MP camera too so it can probably replace your digicam for everyday use.

I want! smirk

Samsung Corby Paint Fight

beretta

Most men have a natural inclination for guns. It probably harks back to our hunter-gatherer roots. We like to shoot loud, large caliber projectile weapons for fun and recreation. 

paintball

It’s hardwired into our XY chromosomes. However running around and shooting real guns at each other tend to get a lot of people killed…so paintball was invented. 😉 

stalk

I like playing paintball games and used to have regular sessions going. However, I haven’t seen much action lately with everyone busy with work and all that.

aim

I remember this friend of mine who loves to pull the Dead Man Walking trick (pretends to be out of the game and then suddenly tags you – at close range) so one fine day we decided to ramp him (our markers had that option even though we don’t usually use it). 

tag

I think that was the last time he pulled the DMW cheat. Heh! 

pro paintball

I drove by my favorite paintball supply shop last Sunday (it was closed) and recalled that ramping anecdote. It made me really itch to get on the battlefield again. 

gear

There will be a Paint Fight going on at the Samsung Corby Carnival Day at Sunway Extreme Park on 16th January 2010. If you love paintball, you’ll be pleased to know that you can join with your group and take part in different scenarios and games.

The Samsung Corby Carnival Day is not just about paintball – there are a lot of activities going on and everyone who goes will get a goodie bag. You’re also looking at RM 25,000 worth of prizes, and last I checked, that’s not pocket change, so be there to join in the fun! 

stealth

Join one of the four colored teams and the winning group will walk home with a Samsung Corby cell phone for each of the members while the first runner up will win a total cash prize of RM 3,000. The 25 top scorers will also win tickets to their offline games! 

moving-out

It’s paintball! How can you say no? 

ambush

Just sign up for the Samsung Fun Club here and choose one of the Corby’s colors before uploading a photo of yourself to the gallery page. 

fashion-jacket

Samsung Corby is a phone with that comes with in four different colors (Jamaican Yellow, Festival Orange, Minimal White and Cupid Pink). The best thing about it is the changeable covers – a fashion jacket to express yourself! I also like the One-Finger Zoom and Pop-up SNS which automatically updates you of online notifications on Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

Here’s what you need to do to join the Paint Fight and win one of them phones:

fb-photo

1. Choose a color you want to represent and upload a photo of yourself.

fb-signup

2. Once you get the notification email, start attacking the other teams and defend your own team. I’m in Cupid Pink so I’ve gotta tag the other colors virtually.

fb-attack

3. The scores are tabulated daily and the best thing about this is that you can login daily to claim your 10 virtual pellets. What’s so good about this? You need to shoot your way into the Top 25 in order to win tickets to the Samsung Corby Paint Fight! Recruit more people to get more paintballs.

fb-game

You play the paintball game online to dominate the other colors – the top player from each color team will also win a Samsung Corby when the contest ends on the 31st January!

I’m on the Cupid Pink team since it’s so feminine and deceptive it’ll give me a chance to wrack havoc on the field when we actually play for real. 😉 Who’s with Team SixthSeal? Run and gun, run and gun! Go go go! 

attack

Get the details here.

Hunt or be hunted!

doria connecting me

The survival of the fittest doesn’t mean the Neanderthal with the largest biceps and biggest club in the forest anymore. It has turned into the man with the most Glocks. 😉 Well, at least in Left 4 Dead. I have always been a gamer and I play all sorts of different games – Japanese RPGs, FPS, RTS, and other geeky acronyms.

doria setting up server 

However, we had a problem setting up the Left 4 Dead server one night and had to make several calls to ask how to go about it. We ended up playing at the cybercafé till early morning.

mafia-wars

There are also a lot of Facebook games out there snagging people left, right and center since they’re easy to pick up and you can furtively play at work. This probably caused a 78% drop in office productivity (just pulled that figure out from where the sun don’t shine) so HR IS GONNA BE WATCHING YOU!!!

barn-buddy

I figured if you’re going to risk your job playing Barn Buddy on Facebook (which won’t give you any tangible rewards) you might be interested in this puzzle game (which does).

I’ve got the mechanics all figured out so I’ll give you the lowdown here:

Register and head over to the clues page.

You’ll find six (6) clues each for Mega, Tera, Giga e.g.

puzzle

This is Puzzle 5 for Giga Clues.

My dear Watson, obviously this calls for you to navigate the website and find the corresponding page.

support

The answer to the question is a no-brainer. It’s gotta be under Support so look up at the top navigation bar and click on that button to produce:

puzzle-piece

Your very first puzzle piece! Congrats!
popup
Now click on that puzzle piece (it’s floating on the page – see red arrow in the previous image) and it will be added to your collection in the pop up. You only have 5 more to go and you’ll complete the Giga Puzzle!

Feel free to complete the puzzles (Mega, Tera, Giga) as many times as you want. You can even repeat the same clues to get spare puzzle pieces, which would also win you a prize, as well as the title King of Spare Pieces.

Register now to play! Contest ends 31st October. Full prize details here.

…and best of all, it looks like a corporate site, so you can pretend you’re doing research or something. 😉

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