How to unclog your bathroom sink

Recently my bathroom sink was getting clogged. The water could only drain out very slowly. I had tried pouring sodium bicarbonate and vinegar into it, in the hope that that would work. Before long, the sink would have been fully clogged up and I would have to do what I did last time, which was to use a very long metal cable that snakes through the pipe from the exterior. It was very tough and dirty work and I was not looking forward to that.

Yesterday I came across this product called the "Drain Clean, Hair Unclogger". It costs about AUD$8 and I got it from Bunnings. Following the instructions, I poured about 500 ml into the sink and left it overnight. Yes, it is literally pouring money down the drain, but for a good cause! The sink is now unclogged and I am now able to leave the tap fully running. Mission accomplished.

View DSLR images on your Android

Here is an easy way to use your Android device to view images captured with a normal camera. You just need an OTG cable (see image below. You can get one for as little as AUD$1 on eBay). You would also need a card reader.

There are several image viewer apps you can use. I use the built-in "My Files" app. This app helps you to navigate around files and folders like you are used to on a PC. You can download any image from the USB/OTG-connected storage, and then "share" it via Gmail, Facebook, etc; or download selected images on to your Android.

Here is the step-by-step instruction. Remove the memory card from your camera and plug it into your card reader. Use the OTG cable to connect the card reader to your Android device. Open up the "My Files" app and click on the USB folder. You can now start to view your  images.

Renewing the Malaysian passport in Melbourne

Recently I took my wife to the new Malaysian consulate on St.Kilda Road to renew her passport. Here is what you need to know.

The address is: Level 1, 432 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne.
Tel: (613) 9573 5400

Map link: http://www.kln.gov.my/web/aus_melbourne/location_map
Roadside ticketed parking is quite ample when we were there at 9am on a Monday.


What you need to bring:
(a) Your old passport and your Malaysian identity card.

(b) 2 photos. See requirements: http://passport.my/Passport-Application/Malaysia_Passport_Photos_Size.htm

(c) Photocopies. Make 2 photocopies of the passport (just the photo page), 2 copies of the Australian visa page, and 2 copies of the front and 2 copies of the back of the Malaysian i/c.

If you don't have your photos, you can take the photo there for AUD$10 at the vending machine. If you forgot to bring photocopies of your documents, you can do the photocopying there for AUD$1 per page.


How long it takes:
We obtained and filled out the form at the consulate itself. Including wait time, we spent a total of 1 hour there. We were told to go back in 3 weeks' time to pick up the new passport.

Best way to roast chestnut

I must say I feel pretty confident that I have finally cracked it (pun intended). After trying to roast chestnuts year after year, I think I have finally gotten it right. The shell and the skin comes off easily on more than 90% of the chestnuts I have roasted on the last three occasions this autumn season. Here is how to do it right.

Basically there are three things to consider: choosing the best chestnuts, making the right slit, and roasting at the right temperature and duration.

Buy fresh chestnuts. Cut open, the nut should not look dried or dark. It should look fresh and yellowish. I prefer not to get the giant chestnut as they are less tasty than the regular-sized ones.

Before roasting, you have to make a slit on the shell. Do not slit at the pointed end (I have tried and failed). Do not slit in the side (also tried and failed). Just make a slit across the bottom of the nut (this is the the key to success!). First, wash the nuts. Next, holding the flat side with your thumb, rest the nut on a chopping block. Then holding a sharp paring knife with the other hand, cut a slit across the bottom of the nut. Do this for all the nuts.

Preheat the oven to 210 deg C. Spread the nuts on a tray and roast for 20 min. The exact duration may very plus or minus a few minutes depending on your oven. Before taking out from the oven, check that the shell has started to crack open, revealing the beautiful edible part inside. When properly roasted, the shell should come off easily, along with the skin covering the edible part of the nut. If the skin does not come off easily, try roasting a bit longer.

The nuts are easiest to shell soon after removing from the oven. Do not wait for them to cool down. Try it and surprise yourself how easy it is to get it right.

How to rescue dye stained clothes

After washing my load of clothes in the washing machine last night, I found that many of the pieces have been damaged by dye stain. This has happened before in the past and I had not been very successful with attempts to rescue them using bleach. I tried something different this time and it worked.

First I soaked the damaged pieces in hot water for about 1-2 hours, minus any suspect pieces that could have caused the dye transfer stains. I added a generous amount of Vanish Napisan to the soak.

Then I placed them in the washing machine to wash again. I set the washing machine to "Whites", which enabled the wash cycle to operate at 95C (normal cycle is 40C on my machine). Again, I used a generous amount of Vanish Napisan. It worked! All the stains were gone from every piece, even from those that looked hopelessly unrescue-able.

Pictured here: Napisan Vanish and some white clothes after rescue)

Suitcase break-in at airport

My wife flew on the Emirates to Kuala Lumpur last month. Upon arrival, she found that the zipper was broken. From my experience, zippers on Samsonite luggage bags do not break easily.

I had the chance to examine the broken zipper when she came back. It is very clear to me that the bag had been broken into. Apparently, a metal rod is all it takes to break the zipper. This method is less obvious than breaking the lock. My wife initially thought the zipper was accidentally broken. From the bottom close-up image, you can tell that a deliberate force was applied to break the zipper handle from its bottom attachment, as the hole in the zipper handle is now slightly out of shape. (Click on the image for enlarged view)

After a lot of hassling, Emirates agreed to replace the zipper in KL. As a precaution, always examine your bags for damage after retrieving them at the airport. And don't put valuables (camera, etc) in your checked-in luggage, no matter how well-locked your bag is.

(Update: after I told a friend about this, she said her luggage bag was similarly damaged on her last trip. She had all the while assumed it was due to bad zippers and wanted to claim the warranty from Samsonite)

Sold (out) on solar

On 21/Jun/2010 I wrote a blog called "Sold on solar". I would like to update the information there with this sequel: sold out on solar.

Aussies have really been sold out by the solar generating scheme. By "sold out", I don't mean the solar panels are out of stock. I mean there something fishy going on. AFTER installing the solar panels, I received a letter from the electricity supplier to say that I will now be charged a new tariff that is tailored to homes with solar panels. This tariff goes by a different rate for different times of the day and it is significantly higher than my existing one. I believe the rates are set in such a way so that what is generated and sold back to the company is quickly negated by the extra tariff. What a sham! The government subsidizes the solar panels by thousands of dollars, and Labor-iously (pun intended) promotes the carbon trading scheme, only to have the electricity suppliers steal all the benefits from the consumers. Labor Party deserves to lose the election this year!

Colour laser printer

Laser printers are great; colour lasers are even better. I have just bought a Samsung printer for $158, heavily discounted from its usual price of $350. I did a test run yesterday. The first page above (click to enlarge) is an automatically generated test page and it gives you details about this printer. The second one is a jpeg file that I printed. I used my camera to take a snapshot of these pages and posted them here. A laser printer is probably more economical than an inkjet for people who don't print often. Ink cartridges dry up very quickly while the toner in a laser printer won't. So if you come across a great buy like this, it's time to replace your inkjet printer. By the way, there are four toner cartridges in this colour laser printer, and they cost $75 each. You might want to look for generic toners.

Sold on solar

What a relief to finally see my electricity meter going in the reverse! After installing my solar generator for about a week now, the sun has not been shining very brightly. We have been getting typical winter weather and I have not bothered to check my meter. Just now, while with a slight overcast, the panels have been generating about 550W (peak is supposed to be up to 2000W) and I could already see my electricity meter going into the reverse. See video below. This is not dramatic, but it is quite a sight to behold.

My new solar panel

Today the workers came to install my solar power generator. I must say that my notion of a solar generator has been pretty outdated. I confess that I had this idea of a bank of storage batteries to store up the power generated during the daytime, to be used at night. Instead, the panels that you can see in the picture are enough to generate 1.5kW of electricity in the broad daylight. DC current is converted to AC through the "inverter" unit (see other picture). There are no storage batteries; all excess power generated is directly fed back into the grid. Hence, in the daytime if your usage is less than what is generated, the electricity meter will actually go backwards!

What tyres to buy?

When my Camry had done 100,000km, I had already used up two sets of tyres. One set came with the new car (Dunlop?) and the second set was Bridgestone. Each set lasted me about 50,000km. At that point I decided to try the Hankook tyres, which are significantly cheaper. I have driven for about 42,000km now on the Hankook tyres, made a few trips to Adelaide, and have found no difference in driving experience. The tyres look like they could easily last me a further 10,000km. Verdict: I will definitely continue to use Hankook tyres, as they are much cheaper than the more established Dunlop or Bridgestone tyres. Hankook tyres last as long and they do not give me any difference in performance. I had only one puncture so far and that was caused by a nail. Thumbs up for Hankook.

Identity fraud right under your nose

Have you ever received messages from Facebook, Yahoo, or any other social networking services that says: "xxx would like to connect with you on Yahoo!7 so you can easily share each other's Updates", or "xxx became a fan of Photographer on Facebook and suggested you become a fan too"?

Government regulatory agencies should scrutinize the deeds of these organizations because what they are doing amounts to identity fraud. They want you to believe that a good friend of yours is interested to "connect" with you. By such means (akin to a pyramid scheme), they can expand their user base exponentially. That is how Facebook has achieved phenomenal success in a short time. Many people are likely to believe that the message is genuinely sent by someone they know. Imagine how compelling it is when the message is purportedly sent by someone close to you, or by the hottest girl in school, or by someone you secretly admire. Surely what Facebook and others are similarly doing is nothing short of identity fraud. Why aren't they stopped?

How to contact your local MP

Every year I get a fridge magnet with the address and contact numbers for our local Member of Parliament. I have never given it much thought before, but now I can see how useful it can be. Distributed by the office of the local MP, there's also telephone numbers for various government agencies such as the fire department, ambulance, nearest hospital, etc.

My local MP's email address is maxine.morand@parliament.vic.gov.au . If you feel strongly about an issue, it should be interesting try to email her and see what kind of response you'll get. As for me, you may wonder why I put my opinions into a blog rather than write to the MP. I can only say that I am a writer and I have many opinions to express, but I am not a cause champion.

How to remove stain from clothes

I seldom take notice of laundry detergent ads. They always claim to be able to remove all kinds of tough stains easily. This week, however, I have to take a chance with a special stain remover washing powder. I had put a load of washings into the washing machine and some the clothes were affected by a colour run. Without a great deal of faith but with a bit of hope, I went to the supermarket to look for a solution. In the washing powder section there were a lot of choices. I settled on a bright pink container of Napisan that claims to to the job.

Back home, I simply followed the instructions to wet the affected areas with a concentrated mixture of detergent and water. After soaking for 5 mins, I put the affected clothes into the washing machine to wash again, using the Napisan in place of regular detergent. I am glad to say my confidence in the detergent ads have been renewed. All the stains disappeared like magic.

Selling a house in Australia: the paperwork

Again, this is taken from last weekend's Domain, published by The Age newspaper. There are three documents involved:

1. Sale authority.
This is a legally binding contract that outlines the sale of your house through the appointed agent. Take note: 1) there is no set industry-standard for the agent's commission; 2) the seller is liable for advertising expenses even if a sale doesn't happen; 3) it is illegal for the agent to underquote the seller's reserve price.

2. Vendor's statement (or Section 32).
Typically prepared by a conveyancer or solicitor, it must be complete and signed by the seller. Take note: prospective buyer must receive a complete and signed vendor's statement or else the contract of sale would be void.

3. Contract of sale.
Verbal offer is not binding. A contract of sale identifies the buyer, seller, particulars of the property, settlement date, deposit amount, sale value, and which chattels to go with the house. Note that: 1) buyers can request a sale to be subject to finance approval, sale of their own property, or building inspection; 2) buyers have a cooling off period of three business days (can back out subject to a small penalty), unless the property is bought within three business days of a scheduled auction or if they took legal advice before signing the contract. Auctions can have no cooling off period and no attached conditions.

Cost of selling a house in Australia

I am just reproducing here the information I gleaned from last weekend's Domain, published by The Age newspaper. The cost of selling a house is not something to be taken lightly. Take as an example a house that is worth $400k and eventually sells for $440k. Here's a typical breakdown:

1. Real estate agent's commission: 2.5% of $440k = $11k
2. Variable commission: 5% for amount over $400k = $2k
(note: that's a whopping 7.5% in total for the $40k "extra")
3. Advertising cost: 1.5% (for signboard, online listing, print ads, etc) = $6.6k
4. Building inspection (if required) = $1k (say)
5. Legal costs (vendor statement, auction contract, etc) = $1k (at least)
6. Exit fee from bank for outstanding mortgage = $1k (say)

Total = $22.6k, which works out to 5.1% of $440k. In addition, if you buy another house to replace this, expect to pay about 5% in stamp duty. That makes a grand total of roughly 10%, excluding moving costs and the cost of hiring temporary props to make the house look more attractive to the buyer.

The bottomline: everything above is negotiable; but not after you have signed any papers. So negotiate first!! Don't be fooled into thinking that the rates are non-negotiable.

Check before buying a used vehicle

A tenant staying at my friend's house had a rude awakening this morning when her car was towed away by a car repossessor. She had just bought a second hand car from a used car dealer. Mine you, it wasn't even from a private individual. Apparently she paid for the car in full, but the used car dealer did not settle the outstanding amount with the bank. The dealer folded up the business soon after the sale and the poor girl is now in a quandary.

The lesson here is: always do a check with VicRoads before handing over your money if you are buying a used vehicle, even if the dealership looks big and established. VicRoads provides such a service. For a small fee, VicRoads will tell you if the vehicle is still under any finance.

Switching internet service provider

I am in the process of switching my ISP from iPrimus to Exetel. This means that I will not be blogging for about a week, if all works well. I have been paying iPrimus close to $90 per month for my bundled landline phone plus ADSL2+ internet service ($30 + $60). Now for the same quota of downloads, I will be paying $35 to Exetel for internet, and $21 to Telstra for the landline. Huge savings! I love it when I find a way to get back at the ISP's, in this case iPrimus, for charging too much. Australians pay too much for all forms of telecommunications, be it internet, landline, or mobile phone. I can only say this must be due to poor government regulatory policies.

Watch out for voice recording

By now we should all be very familiar with the case of an embarrassing email that gets forwarded to the wrong person. Very quickly, one learns not to write something in an email that could potentially be embarrassing or politically disastrous. You can never be certain that it will never be forwarded to another person. An email once sent out is virtually unstoppable.

What many people may not be so aware of yet is that the same applies to what comes out of the mouth. It is very easy to install a voice recorder program in many of the newer mobile phones. Two examples are "Best CallRecorder" and "LivePVR". They can be set to automatically record all incoming and outgoing calls without making give-away beep sounds. You'll never know if what you say is being recorded. We know enough not to vent our anger against another person in an email, preferring to do it over the phone or in person. Now, one should also be careful not to say anything over the phone if you do not want to risk being recorded. You can't stop being recorded just as you can't stop being photographed in a public place.

Used in the right way, voice recording technology can be very useful. It does not take up much memory space and you can use it to keep track of your phone call usage, as sometimes I get the feeling that the credit on my mobile phone disappears by itself. Sometimes I just want to be able to recall a piece of information given over the phone. With each new technology comes a debate over the use and mis-use of it. This has never changed and it never will.

Why some mobile plans are very expensive

(Update: A week after I wrote the following blog, I found that Hutchison 3's $19 plan gives you a free phone but includes only $70 worth of talk/SMS. Another $70 goes towards 3-to-3 calls. Goes to show how easily the brochures and ads can take you for a ride)

I did a quick comparison and the result shows how expensive Telstra really is. (Note that TPG is an internet service provider that has now ventured into mobile phone service.) As you can see from the chart below, although the plans cost $19-20 each, the actual usable time can be very limited. The assumption made regarding flagfall is that in one instance, it is assumed that one third of the calls are shorter than 30 sec, while in the other instance, it is one tenth of the time.

The chart below calculates how many minutes of usage per day you'll get under different providers for a $20 plan. Telstra gives you only 0.6 min per day, which is the equivalent of just one 36sec call per day; beyond that you'll be paying 94c per min plus flagfall! On the other hand, TPG gives you 9.7 min per day. That is nearly twenty blocks of 30-sec calls. Very few people know about TPG Mobile, but it is by far the least expensive. Even Hutchinson 3 is not too bad, in comparison with Telstra or Optus.

TPG, Hutchinson 3, and Optus all give you generous amount of free talk time to certain nominated numbers. Telstra gives you this priviledge for just ONE number. It is about time all of us start moving to lower cost providers to create a downward pressure on prices.

	TPG	"3"	Optus	Telstra
Monthly charge	$19.99	$19.00	$20.00	$19.00
Included cap	$300.00	$140.00	$50.00	$20.00
Call per 30s	$0.40	$0.45	$0.47	$0.47
Flagfall	$0.35	$0.35	$0.35	$0.27
SMS	$0.25	$0.25	$0.25	$0.25
Contract	none	24 mths	24 mths	(not clear)
Avg min/day:
Flagfall 33%	9.70min	4.13min	1.42min	0.60min
Flagfall 10%	11.49min	4.81min	1.65min	0.67min