It's been a while since I've kept myself updated in the cyberworld (reading news and other blogs of interest) and keeping up with my blog. Partly this is due to me engrossed in this awesome tower-defence stragety game 'Master of Defense'. Second would be due to debates. I went down to Singapore last weekend for Singapore Debate Open in NUS. It was a surprisingly good tournament - the standards of debating was rather high (among them the well-known Tan Wu-Ming 'Worlds' Best Speaker'), and the adjudication standard was quite alright too. Me and my bro got our asses doubly-kicked in the tourney, which is a good reminder of how far we're lagging behind other debate teams. And well, apparently Singaporean unis don't skimp on their meals. On the first day, lunch was a buffet of - flavoured rice, stewed chicken wings, sweet sour fish slices, mixed vegetables, and stir-fried bean curd. With desert consisting of delectable cold cream puffs and chocolate eclairs, and a slurpy ice-cold honeydew/sago in santan syrup. Yum! This lunch alone made the registration fee of S$20 totally worth it.
Anyway, I've updated some links on my blog. I've added 2 new logo links - Save Our Sumatran Rhinos and Blog Action Day. I've to say I honestly don't know much about Sumatran rhinos, the only rhinos I've encountered upclose are the white rhinos when I was doing my stint in Zoo Taiping. Like seriously, when you gaze closely at a rhino, you realised that it's actually a quiet gentle creature. They can spend hours just standing there, nibbling their food slowly (they're herbivores - and we feed them dried grass and pellets. They like the pellets better). Of course if you gaze too closely at them and start taunting them, they probably wouldn't be too gentle with you. You got to remember that they still weigh around 3600 kg and can probably toss you around like a rag doll if they feel like it.
Two rhinos lazing in the shade of their enclosure. I think it's Melur and another female.
Anyway, I've updated some links on my blog. I've added 2 new logo links - Save Our Sumatran Rhinos and Blog Action Day. I've to say I honestly don't know much about Sumatran rhinos, the only rhinos I've encountered upclose are the white rhinos when I was doing my stint in Zoo Taiping. Like seriously, when you gaze closely at a rhino, you realised that it's actually a quiet gentle creature. They can spend hours just standing there, nibbling their food slowly (they're herbivores - and we feed them dried grass and pellets. They like the pellets better). Of course if you gaze too closely at them and start taunting them, they probably wouldn't be too gentle with you. You got to remember that they still weigh around 3600 kg and can probably toss you around like a rag doll if they feel like it.
Two rhinos lazing in the shade of their enclosure. I think it's Melur and another female.There are in Zoo Taiping - the only male and the youngest of the bunch (Badang), and two females (Melur and one whose name I've forgotten, think it might be Mawar). The second female rhino was obtained as part of a conservation programme to help breeding as there had been no successful reproduction between Badang and Melur. But apparently Badang is a little insecure and was outranked with the arrival of two females who had sort of formed a sister pact. Badang wouldn't go near the enclosure if both the females are there; I once saw him nipping his heel when he wanted to join in when they were feeding on the pellets.
But anyway, they're really docile creatures. The keeper once allowed us to go rhino-riding once. Which is actually pretty difficult, I have to say. Climbing on top of the rhino is not easy; they're really tall and wide and it's not like you can have any handholds to grab on. And you have to be pretty sneaky too, you don't want to risk startling the rhino. So anyway, after much huffing and puffing, I manage to scoot myself over on top of Badang (the most docile one) while he was feeding on the pellets. Unfortunately though, I was not as gentle as I thought and he was startled. And for the next 30 seconds, I almost had a near death experience as I tried to hang on to him (with nothing really to hold on to) like a rodeo bull as he leaped about. In the end I managed to made a safe leap down to the side while he bolted out of the enclosure. My friend and the keeper was obviously panicking like hell, but surprisingly and was rather shocked to see me getting up as if I've just got off a merry-go-round. Truth be told, it had more to do with my characteristic lack-of-emotional-display and slow reaction to being stunned. It was exhilarating experience nonetheless, and I've a few great pix to prove it. But I'd rather not post them here for fear of getting myself and the keeper in trouble since rhino-riding isn't actually allowed. Back to the rhinos though, they're kinda cool like the so-harmless-and-quiet-type that you forget that they can totally kick your ass if they want to (which is extremely rare and unlikely, unless you have a death wish). Yeah, so go click on the logo and find out more about our local rhinos.
Secondly, would be Unite! Blog Action Day. It's an intiative where October 15th is designated to be a day where many bloggers around the globe will blog about a single issue/theme. The theme for this year is literally, the hottest topic of the year - environment where most people is concerned about global warming. The main idea is to spread awareness and if your blog happens to be a hugely popular one, you can also help to raise funds or contribute your blog's earnings of the day to a green charity. I've already signed up for it, and hope the rest of you guys would join us either by blogging or reading blogs about it.
And finally, here's a link to a friend who did a really courageous thing. How many young people to do you know whom you can call a social activist? Here's one, and here's what he did.
But anyway, they're really docile creatures. The keeper once allowed us to go rhino-riding once. Which is actually pretty difficult, I have to say. Climbing on top of the rhino is not easy; they're really tall and wide and it's not like you can have any handholds to grab on. And you have to be pretty sneaky too, you don't want to risk startling the rhino. So anyway, after much huffing and puffing, I manage to scoot myself over on top of Badang (the most docile one) while he was feeding on the pellets. Unfortunately though, I was not as gentle as I thought and he was startled. And for the next 30 seconds, I almost had a near death experience as I tried to hang on to him (with nothing really to hold on to) like a rodeo bull as he leaped about. In the end I managed to made a safe leap down to the side while he bolted out of the enclosure. My friend and the keeper was obviously panicking like hell, but surprisingly and was rather shocked to see me getting up as if I've just got off a merry-go-round. Truth be told, it had more to do with my characteristic lack-of-emotional-display and slow reaction to being stunned. It was exhilarating experience nonetheless, and I've a few great pix to prove it. But I'd rather not post them here for fear of getting myself and the keeper in trouble since rhino-riding isn't actually allowed. Back to the rhinos though, they're kinda cool like the so-harmless-and-quiet-type that you forget that they can totally kick your ass if they want to (which is extremely rare and unlikely, unless you have a death wish). Yeah, so go click on the logo and find out more about our local rhinos.
Secondly, would be Unite! Blog Action Day. It's an intiative where October 15th is designated to be a day where many bloggers around the globe will blog about a single issue/theme. The theme for this year is literally, the hottest topic of the year - environment where most people is concerned about global warming. The main idea is to spread awareness and if your blog happens to be a hugely popular one, you can also help to raise funds or contribute your blog's earnings of the day to a green charity. I've already signed up for it, and hope the rest of you guys would join us either by blogging or reading blogs about it.
And finally, here's a link to a friend who did a really courageous thing. How many young people to do you know whom you can call a social activist? Here's one, and here's what he did.
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