Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin

about an american who builds schools (and relations) in northern Pakistan and Afghanistan. lost count of how many times i have to fight back my tears while reading on the trains.. Mortenson believes that poverty, high mortality, poor hygiene and many more problems can be overcome by education. Even terrorism can be fought if the children are brought up in a moderate muslim education. this guy is a true hero. highly recommended book!

Afghanistan, A New History, Martin Ewans

Just finished a book on the history of afghanistan! the first real history book that i've ever read (minus the textbooks in secondary school of course!). turns out to be very readable, not as dry as i thought a history text will be. maybe its becos of the way it was being written, rather fast pace. was inspired to know more about afghanistan after reading a national geographic article on the Hazaras and the book "Kite Runner". Really a very sad history, full of wars and misfortunes. Been thru 3 anglo-afghan wars, stuck in between superpowers during the cold war, russian invasion and occupation, civil war during mujahidin rule, taliban regime and the most recent war on terrorism led by US. so much happennings but not what one will associate the words colourful nor exciting with. leaves me thinking if guerilla tactics are born under western oppression, turning "Afghan's earlier traditions of tolerance towards non-Muslims" to a "much intensified hostility within their own society"... ...

which laptop???

my boss's getting a laptop for me!! trying hard to decide between 2 fujitsu models S6520 (a notebook) and T5010 (a tablet). in almost all aspects the notebook wins over, faster processor, wider screen, lighter weight, bigger hard disk, all black, longer batt life... but the thing about scribbling ideas, workings, drawing diagrams, writing notes on a tablet is sooo cool! haiz.. if only choosing a lappie is as easy as choosing beers on a menu! for beers, no need to choose, just have both!!

Cheesecake!

dun usually think highly of myself, but yesterday i did not one but two amazing feats! the first is the baking of a perfect cheesecake with hy (photo below, recipe in hy's blog) and the second....laying the bedsheet and quilt with hy sleeping on it ALL the time!!!!!!

Gunung Stong

went for a hiking trip with nus odac, to Gunung Stong. haven done hiking for quite a while, more than 2 years i think, good thing i still can make it thru!! nice waterfalls, awesome sunrise, great company, and the incredible feeling of being among nature!! =)

                             

  

a good DAY

bake of the DAY:

idea of the DAY:

"customised f-CNT array"

[by using LII in nitric acid to create a local region of functionalised carbon nanotubes in an as-grown array of aligned CNTs, followed by additional chemical reactions at the functionalised sites. the process may be repeated on another site of the array and so on. a customised array of f-CNT can thus be achieved.]

alcohol of the DAY:

Choya on the rock 

ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmma great 

Muffins!!!

a new addition to my list of addiction: BAKING!!!!

soooo inspired by our success in baking muffins yesterday (of course hy did most of the job, i merely beat the eggs and read out the recipe ;p) , we decided to do it again today!! (only this time we switched roles)

introducing the chocolate chips muffins:












and the chocolate chunk muffins with nutella topping:










for recipe refer to hy's blog!

the other APS

yeah finaaallly submitted my paper on laser-induced incandescence of carbon nanotubes!!! sent it to PRL, a journal of the "other" APS -- American Physical Society! PRL is not going to be easy...keeping my fingers cross and praying hard!!!

Positive Silhouette Moroccan Geometry

Moroccan Silhouette
Originally uploaded by AlcoholicPhysicsSociety

me and hy in Morocco.

no. i am not drunk. yet.
hy: duh

The Awakening of an IT Illiterate

Finally.

The Physics alcoholic has decided to discard his bottles (for a minute) and make the founder of the WorldWideWeb (who IS a Physicist) proud. How? by actually starting a blog!