chandranhonour

Found my house exposed on the web

2009-03-22T00:46:00.001Z

I’ve just been experimenting with the Google Street view putting in my London postcode and to my delight…watching my very own house appear as a street view image in front of my eyes. Impressive stuff! I can imagine so guy from Google going around the area and taking photos. I then tried clicking the arrows to move down my street towards a nearby park. Sure enough the images scrolled albeit with a slight delay.

Test post

2009-03-22T00:08:00.001Z

Frog spotting!

2007-05-08T09:10:00.000Z

What a cool frog! It posed perfectly as three of us friends got close to snap this picture.

Twitter

2007-04-06T12:39:00.000Z

This new tool could be really cool! It allows you to send small update messages to your friends via the web or your sms phone. I've invited a few of my friends to try it. Could this help satisfy me need to stay in touch with people. Let's see!

VOIP InSanity!

2007-02-23T10:23:00.000Z

Today I checked my old landline number and found messages from friends! Ooops, it seems I hadn't updated them on a new communications development. Lately I've been experimenting with a new Sanity VOIP phone system( www.sanity123.com)

It seems good value at £7.99 per month for all landline calls although I'm a little suspect about the equipment. The power adapater wobbles out of the socket when I switching devices around on my PC. The VOIP adapater itself doens't exactly look high-end: it's in a black unbranded box with red LEDS that clunk when you pick-up the phone.

Overall, call quality seems OK although once or twice I've had friends claim the line was dead. Hmmmm. I like using it for calling my friend Harshad in India though(he doens't have Skype). The rate is only 9 ukp per minute.

Feeling mindfulness

2006-12-29T14:22:00.001Z

Unusually for me, I've been sticking around the house but enjoying it. I think it's in my nature to pick-up the phone and chat, network with all my friends but for once it's nice to take things steady and experience every momevement in its fullest.

Like today, I got up later than usual but managed to pick-up my Yoga book and practice some of the stretches. Arching my back feels sensational I think will do wonders for my shoulders. They become really painful working in IT. I found this other webpage which includes eye exercises. Somehow I my eyes feel so much more alive after I have practicsed a few stretches.

technorati tags:mindfulness, yoga, spirtual, meditation

Loving your robot seal

2006-12-26T23:56:00.001Z

This interesting article on the invention of a robot seal got me thinking, is it really possible to have a relationship with a pet robot seal and what makes a meaningful relationship for us as human beings?

As well as it's sweet kisses(the robot apparently responds to an affectionate kiss) having a robot pet would be advantageuos over it's living counterparts in that it would not required you to clean up afterwards or have to find a home for it when you were away or travelling: important in today's fast paced world.

Sounds great I thought! I trekked over to the Japanese award website eagerly looking for a waiting list - I want one!

Tooty fruity in Barcelona

2006-12-25T00:22:00.001Z

This market stall caught my eye on a recent visit to Barcelona. The colours are stunning and I best of all I love the asain fruit flavours, especially the purple papaya juice ;-)

Blogged with Flock

Christmas Co-incidences

2006-12-24T22:29:00.000Z

Friday 22nd, the last chance for a big night out for the Christmas festivities at home. I'd been busy towards the end of the week so hand' planned anything; but felt that sometimes the unplanned nights are the best as I drove from Reading. I wasn't disappointed.

We kicked off with some old favourties; a mohito in the Kasbar on the Cowley road and then on into the main part of the town.

Furthermore I always have this feeling that when you're out you might meet someone and it wasn't long before we did. Nick, a family friend of my friend Nick, with some student friends of his. A friendly crowd but somehow I felt quite parential talking to them asking parent like questions 'So, what course are you studying'.

29 Years on the clock!

2006-12-24T00:37:00.001Z

PICT0278

Flocked image!

2006-12-24T00:34:00.001Z

signup_head.gif (GIF Image, 388x52 pixels)

KGB agents have infiltrated James bond's office!

2006-11-19T17:08:00.000Z

James bond you'd better watch out - two russian KGB agents have entered your office and are posing on your desk!

Another life change

2006-11-18T00:50:00.000Z

You might be suprised to hear I decided to wind-down my business and brave the world of office polictics again. Yes, I've decided to move back to becoming an employee back in the world of financial IT in hopefully, London.

Still, they'll be things I'll miss. Amonst other things I'd just painted up a new office in the centre of Reading with an associate Kathryn. The venue was quite unique -a social arts and education centre - and photos of us in our new creative environment.

I'm now enjoying the extra time to catch-up with friends. Nick has moved into a house in Bracknell(a town closeby to Reading) and I've re-connected with some great friends in the city - including one Israeli friend, Jonathan, a energectic guy who is also looking to get back into financial IT. Very inspiring!

Why would anyone want to start a company? This article from Mike seems to capture some of my feelings having decided to close my company.

What future!?

2006-10-25T23:31:00.000Z

Sometimes I wonder if I think about the future too much, did anyone see the BBC program on artifical intelligence yesterday evening? I suppose being a techie with a deep interest in human psychology I would be include to believe some of the scientist scary predictions for the future - by 2029 we will have machines whose brians can outhink and outpower our own. I try to put my optimistic hat on and say that humanity will do they right thing and such technology will only be use for helpful purposes, I really hope so, what does anyone else think?

Spicy tangine chicken

2006-02-01T23:07:00.000Z

Spicy tangine chicken cooked for my dinner party. Made extra sweety and lovely with dates and honey...yummmmm.

People in devon all dress up for new year

2006-01-08T22:05:00.000Z

PICT0033
Originally uploaded by Chandran Honour.

It was my friend Tom's suggestion of driving down to a small coast town called Bideford in Devon for a New Year's eve dress up street party. I'd never heard of Bideford and wondered if everyone really did dress up for NYE, was it all just a big hoax?

I though I'd see who else was up for joining me and called some friends in London. It didn't seem to bring much joy; everyone seemed to have plans for a more civilized 'quiet'' night in with friends. Dejaz-vu. The thought a dress up street party was just too aluring - nothing was going to stop me donning my 70's cowboy costume, party or not and I wasn't disappointed!

I left Reading station on the 31st feeling excited and the prospect of spending a few days in Devon although was quite sure exactly what to expect from festival having not known anyone who had been previously. Amasingly the train to Bristol Parkway was on time and I actually arrived a little before Tom at Parkways station.

We'd decided to stay in the hostel in Bude(just down the coast from Devon) and planned to arrive there by mid afternoon. The drive down the M5 was smooth and we made it easily in time to settle into the Northshore Bude Surf Lodge

Leaving our hostel in a rush I forgot my brown glasses and had to bring along with red raincoat instead of the something that would fit more stylishing with the rest of my 70's gear. It was a little frustrating at first but after a couple of pints I dropped the coat and let my shirt hang out exposing my full outfit to some of the other dressed up people in the street.

When we arrived in town only a handful of people lined the streets dressed up as everything from a Rubics cube to Ghostbusters. A clear favourite was an old lady dresssed up as Florence nightingale; everyone seemed to warm to her!

It was cold and windy when I arrived but I felt better after downing a couple of local pints! The music was quite cheesy but managed to play some of the old dance classics(Faithless, Sash, etc.) that seemed to put the crowd in a blissful state.

Anything but the turkey!

2005-12-25T22:08:00.000Z

christmas dinner
Originally uploaded by Chandran Honour.

For Christmas it always nice that we have such a large number of Malaysian cousins, some of whom are visting us at home in Reading. This time Charmaine was with us along with her friend Niluka from New Zealand..

Stuffed ourselves with the usual hearty festive food including extra helpings of Christmas pudding and my mum's yummy Christmas cake. Later we burnt off some of the calories during a short walk from the house around
the local Lake. It felt better to have catch some air before returning home for coffee, games(Charades and trival pursuit) and the traditional evening
film - The Importance of Being Ernest.

Being an entreprenuer

2005-12-15T22:51:00.000Z

About three years ago I had the bright idea to give up a healthy city salary and pursue a dream of running my own web business: a big change for anyone! Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't give up some of the benefits of being your own boss - being more control with more freedom and independence. Couldn't got and work for someone else. Not even if I was paid a load of money! But sometimes the swashbuckling self-employed lifestyle does have it's challenges ...

Today was one of those days. Got up around 8:00am, got dressed and grabbed some breakfast. Driving to the office was fun as I took the change to practice singing for the office Karaoke party this evening. What fun! Found myself singing hopelessly out of tune to Bob Marley's No Woman No Cry!

Bring back student life!

2005-12-06T00:12:00.000Z

Had a fun weekend visiting my sister Tiffany in her student hall in Leeds. Meeting her student corridor mates over a glass of red wine was strangely reminiscent of my student days at Warwick University. I really missed many aspects of the student lifestyle - staying in bed till early afternoon after staying up late chatting before heading over the the pub and eating the biggest, juiciest roast dinner ever!

Yet somehow, depsite feeling quite at home with Tiffany and her student friends, I was given a sharp reminder that life had moved on during our night out. I'd ended up with Tiffany and one of her friends at the entrance to one of Leed's most popular dance nightclubs, Gatecrasher. I tried handing the lady at the entrance to Gatecrasher nightclub a ten pound note for entrance. She immediately asked for Student ID and when I replied I was conducting my own studies she in a sharp voice, accussed me of trying to 'pretend to be a student'. How unfair!

3 Peaks Challenge

2005-11-15T00:02:00.000Z

Completely mad! That's how I felt climbing Scafell Pike(England's highest peak) in the pitch black at 3am in the morning. It was my friend John from Wenn(in Shropshire) that persuded me to join our group of merry walkers on this immense walking challenge: climbing Britain's three highest in just 24 hours!

What an experience!? We started enthusiastically climbing Ben Nevis in just over 4 hours, thankfully without rain. Our drive south to the Lake District couldn't have gone better with our drivers skillfull navigation saving us to arrive in time arrive at random car park near the start of the walk at 3am . The Scafell climb was hard as we faced driving wind and rain on the way down the mountain. I couldn't have felt more relieved to end up with a nice warm cup of tea after reaching our van in the valley car park.

With only Snowdon to go it seemed like we were nearly there. However, the drive to Snowdon was a long one and I felt a little car sick on reaching the start. We didn't hang around jumping straight out of the car and up towards the summit of Snowdon on the famous Pyg track. I felt better on the lower slopes of the mountain but the final part of the climb leading onto the summit was really tough. We all needed to summon every last ounce of energy to reach the summit.

Running 10K. The Easy Way!

2005-10-15T16:27:00.000Z

Tom Has Finished!
Originally uploaded by Chandran Honour.

What a bizarre morning, looking back visiting the airport the same morning as my 10k charity run may have been over amibitious!

Drove frantically from Heathrow into London but got caught in traffic and ended up seeing Tom at the finish of the Rainforest 10k Run in Victoria Park.

I was especially happy for him though after finding out he thought the run had finished after only two laps but managed to hang on for a final lap without stopping, well done Tom!

Flickr

2005-10-15T16:19:00.000Z

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

On yer bike!

2005-08-30T21:23:00.000Z

I've always wondered what riding one of those small brompton bicycles would be like and finally got to try my Uncle Roger's!

At first the front seemed a little shaky but I soon gained control and was really impressed by the small turning circle.

Roger then showed me the folding capabilities of the bike which were impressive. In just a few simple moves of the whole frame folded into a convenient package that could be easily carried in one hand.

This could be just the job for cycling to my new Wokingham office. I've been having some trouble finding somewhere safe to park the bicycle and with this I could easily taken inside.

All in all an impressive piece of kit and surely something more of us could get out of our comfy cars for - on yer bike!

Take-off

2005-08-02T11:46:00.000Z

Feeling pleased to have created this blog adding my first entry and a special thanks to Alice who inspired me to get going with this blog!