Niki Cheong

My second date with ASIMO

Nov 14, 2008 Events 4 Comments

Well, not exactly. I didn’t even get to see it up close. But I thought it was the most adorable thing ever.

This is ASIMO, or Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility. Honda claims it to be the first humanoid robot in the world and I will say it again, it’s the most adorable thing - ever!

I first met ASIMO in 2003 during some technology expo at the National Science Centre. I was editing TECH magazine then and went for the expo to do some research. Then, I heard a buzz about the first ever walking robot and that was when I saw ASIMO. It could barely move then.

Today, at 1-Utama, I was invited to see the new ASIMO. This time, it could walk, run, kick a ball and even serve drinks … well, kinda. In the picture below, it is dancing along with some members of the audience.

The only thing strange is that ASIMO, being a product of Honda’s dreams (how’s that for a free plug???), should be Japanese, right? Then why does it speak with an American accent? heh heh

ASIMO will be making appearances over the next couple of weeks at shopping centres. It will be at 1-Utama until Sunday (Nov 16) before heading to City Square in JB (20-23 Nov) and then Queensbay Mall in Penang (27-30 Nov).

Say hi to it for me!

p/s No, I’m not getting paid for this post so this is not an advertorial. But if Honda feels like sharing some joy, I would really love a new car please. Thanks. :P

5.03pm Malaysian time (+8 GMT)

Malaysian National Sports Convention

Nov 13, 2008 Rantings Leave a comment

Until I read this article a couple of days ago, I didn’t even know we had such a thing. Not surprising, after all, the last time the convention was held - also the first ever, if I gather correctly - was in 1996.

From reports, there appears to be a genuine concern (oh, finally!), if Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Sports Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s words are anything to go by. The Star writes:

Same old problems and issues in Malaysian sports were highlighted during a two-day National Sports Convention, which ended yesterday at the Putra World Trade Centre here.

But this time, there were promises of new approaches and fresh starts to deal with them in a bid to steer Malaysian sport in the right direction. At least, that was the assurance given by Sports Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

Well, it’s about time, I say. The NST summarises the convention here but the Malay Mail reported the dirt - there was apparently a whole lot of blaming going on.

Some lambasted public varsities for their strict entry requirements for athelets while others ridiculed our schooliong system and questioned the sincerity of the revelent ministries - mainly the Education and Sports Ministeries - for not working in tandem towards the beterment of sports.

Even the media were not spared for giving too much space on foreign sports instead of local affairs.

Even the NST picked up on that, and dedicated a short article to the media bashing. Now, I have to put a disclaimer - I am not defending the media just because I’m one of “them”. I am writing the following few sentences as just an individual, one who finds the argument extremely flawed.

The NST article reads:

Several delegates said the media should play its role in developing local sports rather than focusing on what is happening abroad.

So, what do they want? Nicol David and Lee Chong Wei’s face on the back pages all the time? How many athletes do we have in the country that really warrants heavy media coverage? I don’t write for sports but even I can tell that most events involving Malaysians are covered in the papers.

And I don’t know about you, but as a reader, I enjoy reading major stories about our sportsmen/women but moderately. I am interested in other sports as well. And let’s face it, there are more tournaments happening around the world that doesn’t involve our athletes - so percentage wise (7 cover stories a week), does it not make sense to have more stories about foreign sports?

I didn’t hear his whole speech, but this blurb in the Malay Mail but Najib, I think makes perfect sense.

“When people read the papers, they read the front page and quickly flip to the back page. They don’t want to read about Lewis Hamilton or Manchester Uited. They want to see our locals making it to the back pages.”

I think the operative term here is “making it” and I would be glad to read more about our fellow Malaysians who has done well because let’s be honest: who wants to be affiliated with losers?

I know it’s a bit of a catch-22, and that it’s hard for sports to develop without public support, but the focus has to be on the development, and not the politics which IMHO has marred our nation’s glory in sports.

The Sports Minister sounds like he’s serious about revamping Malaysian sports. I hope he is, and wish him all the best, because as much as I admire our current (and past greats), I for one would love to read more about our other successful athletes.

4.32pm Malaysian time (+8 GMT)

Singing Christmas Carols

Nov 12, 2008 Performing Arts 4 Comments

I just realised what a bad headline that is for this post considering the fact that I can’t imagine who in their right mind will pay to hear me sing!

Well, I will be on stage come December, in a show called A Christmas Carol (ye olde story of Scrooge and the three Spirits, yes) and contraty to public belief, it is not a musical! Yes, of course there wil be Christmas carols, but I will be lip-syncing am not singing lah.

Anyway, the reason why I am writing about this today is because in exactly one month - Dec 12 - the show opens at KLpac. So, in honour of the one month countdown, I want to share with you the trailer for the show (look out for my name, blink and you’ll miss it tho!).

Please spread this video around as it would be nice to share the Christmas spirit (no pun intended) with everyone. I will update more about the show as the dates come closer.

7.54pm Malaysian time (+8 GMT)

Quoting Candace Bushnell

Nov 10, 2008 Sounds Like Pop 1 Comment

Damn, and to think I buy these books for easy reading. Who wants to think when you’re reading a book about New York socialites?

What was I thinking?

But anyhow, I am hooked. Yes, after tormenting myself to the insane realisation that I want to be, and will never - like Toby Young (the author of How To Lose Friends and Alienate People) - be an editor at Vanity Fair, I am now reading his friend (if the name-dropping in How To Lose Friends is anything to go by) Candace Bushnell’s latest book One Fifth Avenue.

My masochist streak is showing.

I haven’t yet finished reading the book (I’ve been busy of late and it’s taking me a while) but I just came by an interesting couple of paragraphs that got me thinking (lesson learnt: never judge a book by it’s cover - this book is not your usual chick lit - Bushnell’s social commentary through fiction is brilliant!).

Philip smiled. Lola seemed incapable of making distinctions between the artist and the hack, the real and the wannabe. In her mind, a blogger was the same as a novelist, a star on a reality show was equal to an actress. It was her generation, he reminded himself. They had grow up in a culture of insistent democracy in which everyone was the same and everyone was a winner.

Food for thought? It surely got me thinking.

9.47pm Malaysian time (+8 GMT)

Obama family: Behind the scenes

Nov 9, 2008 Sounds Like Pop 3 Comments

Ever since I jumped for joy celebrating Barack Obama’s win at the US Presidential Elections last week, I meant to jot down my thoughts on here. Work, and other commitments, as always, stood in the way. I also wanted to share some pictures of the Obama campaign’s promo material that my good friend, Kee Thai, so painstakingly stole got.

Today, as I started thinking about what else I wanted to write here, I realised that there is little that hasn’t been said. And besides, Mr. President-elect has already moved on and started working and I thought - it’s it time I moved on too?

Still, I can’t help but want to share this article with you, taken from the CNN 360 blog kinda of summing up what the week’s been like. In a way (different of course, considering I am not American, and neither do I live there), it pretty much speaks my thoughts. The headline, What a long, strange week it’s been, says everything.

This morning I found myself thinking back to the events that transpired on Tuesday, and nostalgically waxing about that historic day three years…wait a second…that was three DAYS ago. Tuesday itself could have been a lifetime. My mind is still stuck in overdrive frantically trying to sort and compute retrograded incoming data like those coin machines in which you can dump a mass amount of change and after a period of clanking a dollar amount mysteriously appears.

Having shared that link, I don’t think I have much left to say. I did want to share some pictures - none belonging to me, mind you - from Barack Obama’s official Flickr page. The pictures were taken by Obama’s official campaign photographer David Katz (including the one right at the top of this blog post). Amazing how relaxed Obama and the family look while waiting for the results to be announced. Confidence?

These are a few of my favourites (more here).

12.25pm Malaysian time (+8 GMT)