Sunday, May 2, 2010

First Geo Tag picture posted from Picasa

Here are my photo speculations if anyone is interested in the technical side of taking a snap shot.

Photo information
Loading…
May 3, 2010
716×536 pixels – 92KB
Filename: IMG00115-20100502-1924.jpg
Camera: Research In Motion
Model: BlackBerry 8520
ISO: n/a
Exposure: n/a
Aperture: n/a
Focal Length: n/a
Flash Used: No
Latitude: 5.414961° N
Longitude: 100.340281° E

Here is a link to my Picasa account showing the geo tag which Google explains:


    Geotag your photos with Google Maps -- Quickly add geotags using the newly integrated Google Maps. Click the Places  button and drag your photos to the location where you took them. Of course, you can still use Google Earth to tag or view photos if you prefer.


Due to privacy issues, because I am using Picasa on my Gmail account, I have limited views of my pictures in My Public Gallery  to those who are friends of mine, who need to sign in to see my pictures. The idea of Public Gallery is worrying, in the sense, how much control do I have over these images, and who is viewing them.

I am still thinking of just opening up a new account to keep my Digital Shadow to a satisfactory level. These are thoughts I had after listening to the lecture on Digital Shadows today. Food for thought, even in exotic Penang, I still want to know just how "public" is gallery of photos in Picasa.

My Map --Google

 Teng Bee Liquer & Sundries (Photo--Elmotheclown)


To create this map, I went into Google Maps though my Gmail account, and made an entry on the place I am staying it. I also want to add a picture, but not sure how I can do that. Or if I need to upload it on Picasso, or do I need to download Google Maps. Anyway, there is an icon on the map now leading us to Stephen's place.

Here is my entry on Google My Maps which pin points Day & Night Guest House:

Day &  Night Back Packer
This is a great litlte guest house on Chulia Street, and next door is the Teng Bee Grocery Store, also owned by the same owner, Stephen which is great for cheap odds and ends.
Rooms from 20 - 40 Ringit.
For more details, check this blog out http://elmotheclown.blogspot.com
319, Chulia Street 10200 Penang
Tel: 04-2625645


View Day & Night Back Packer in a larger map

"Night and Day" Bargains

Water

Water, a scarce resource. For the last two weeks, I have being paying MR $2  for a two litter bottle of water a day. A quick calculation, that is 12 dollars a week, enough for three bowls of noodles, or one plate of rice and Marsala chicken, or a night slumming it up in a dorm.

I found an automatic water machine a block away from where I am staying. Yes, I had to wait some time before another  hardened traveler in his cotton dye outfit and sprinkled grey hair filed up his four bottles. Why hadn't I caught onto this a lot earlier was my initial response, but I cooled my heals with the comforting thought that for 20 cents  I can have 2 liters of water.

 My Landlord

Stephen owns a grocery store and the Night and Day Back Packers.

For many days I have been staring at this A4 photo copy  on my room's wall.  It says the Teeng Bee is a place that offers all kinds of amusement under one roof. Funny, I hadn't seen anything of it's kind and was curious where it was located.

"Whether you're after groceries, snacks or a place to sit back and knock back a  few quiet ales in atmosphere surrounds: TENG BEE HAS GOT IT!!" That is what the advertising promised.


It took me me a few weeks to  figure it out that  it was indeed Stephen's grocery store. Out the back he has a dark air conned room which he calls a bar. And I have been told come 2 am at closing time, Stephen has been known to drag out a few rowdy Indians!




 Cigarettes

It didn't take me long to hear on the Back Packer grave vine that Stephen not only sells Benson &  Hedges, Marlboro Red and Lights, but he also sells dirt cheap brands like Bingo and Luffman, which are one third the price of  reputable brand name cigarettes. The savings are astronomical --Aus $1 a pack. Fancy a a Luffman with a nice milk tea --  I do.




 Stephen's charming establishment is in  the  UNESCO world Heritage site.


In regards to Wi-Fi, I use the signals bouncing off my wall, from Banana's free account, to the more reliable and stronger signal from Penang Free Wi Fi which you need to register an account with.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Milk Tea & Poori Masala

Total, 3.5 ringgit, or about two Australian dollars, a bargain, and quite nutricious and filling.

Lebuh Pasar


Lebuh Pasar
Originally uploaded by elmotheclown
This is the name of the street where I eat cheaply. Is that Shiva, Ganesh or Vishnu?

CCTV at Krishna Resteraunt

I am the lone diner in red, at about 9 o'clock.

Attribution Creative Commons


Still many things to do. I quickly changed my Copy Right, signing over all my pictures and one video to Creative Commons, so come on Virgin, bring it on. Just don't forget to credit my pictures.

Here is are a few pictures of my meal at Krishna Restaurant in Lebuh Pasar Street -- which in Indian means "Market Street". For more description on this multicultural city, here is a link to Street names of George Town, Penang.

On a technical note, I tried to upload my images here with my URL connected to my Flickr account, but it didn't work for some reason . So I will send them directly from my Flickr account to Blogger which I set up earlier on -- Learning by doing! And for now will just upload a raw image taken from my Blackerry.
I spoke to my land lord who runs the Day and Night Back Packers. Talking about multiculturalism that is going on, he said this: "If Malaysians were racist we would kill each other." He is Malaysian- Chinese, and I loved the way expressed this melting pot of Indians, Malay, and Chinese, who live together harmoniously!

But it must be said you don't see too many Malay-Indians eating at Chinese restaurants, or Malay-Chinese eating at Indian restaurants, but that is just a matter of tastes I suppose.