Nimal's Weblog

My Riding Log: The Pretext

Nimal — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:00:40 +0000

It all started about a year ago when I decided to buy a scooter to commute to work. The idea was to buy a 50cc scooter as it can be driven with a car licence in Brisbane and it was the only licence I had. I had never ridden a motorcycle or scooter before, so a 50cc scooter sounded easy to start with. I had the money and I should have bought one straight ahead, instead I opted to delay.

Photo taken by Barbara Mürdter

Time is the enemy for any thoughts, especially mine, and 50cc was not enough for me anymore for no apparent reason. Now I wanted a bigger scooter, may be a 100cc. The problem was I didn’t have a motorcycle licence, and you need to one to ride anything above 50cc in Queensland.

So I decided I should get a motorcycle licence, and then came the new problem. The car licence I had was from Sri Lanka, and can get a motorcycle licence only if I convert that to a Queensland licence. This would have been straight forward, if the original licence is from the US or Singapore or few other countries. For a Sri Lankan licence, the only option is to do written and practical driving tests.

Somewhere towards the end of 2011, I did the written test and passed on the second attempt (the first blind attempt didn’t go well). Then I had to go for the practical test. By that time, I might have driven on road for about 18 months and 4,000kms, but I have never driven regularly. So I thought doing some lessons with a driving instructor might help, and it did. After few hours of training I had my Queensland car licence in the post box.

Now I could get a motorcycle licence in Queensland. There were two options. You could go straight for a practical test if you can ride a motorcycle as for cars. But it was not an option for me. So I decided to go the Q-Ride way. It is a specially designed program to learn to ride and get the licence at the same time. It took me another couple of weekends of training and one epic fall before I had my Queensland motorcycle licence in the post box.

What started as a simple desire for a 50cc scooter was now a motorcycle licence after nine months in early 2012. Then I went and bought a Yamaha Virago XV250 cruiser, a 250cc motorcycle, not a 50cc scooter. Now I’ve been riding it to work/uni almost every day and I think I’m enjoying it. I hope to keep on writing on this blog my experiences of riding as ‘My Riding Log’. I won’t be regular or informative, just another random log.

Everything changes around us every day, our thoughts, our perceptions, and our likes and dislikes. I always want to think ‘I’m living in the moment’ and I try to do so.

My Riding Log: The Pretext is a post from: Nimal's Weblog

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Setup QUT Student, Staff Email on Android Devices

Nimal — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:30:55 +0000

Having access to my work/school email on my smartphone is important me when I am ‘working from home, away from home’. I recently switched to my Nexus S and upgraded the OS to the latest Ice Cream Sandwich. But when I tried to add my emails, there aren’t many guides on the QUT website on setting up exchange email accounts on Android devices. As always, after a bit of Googling and guess-work I was able to set up my two account on my Nexus S. And this is how I did it…

For all QUT undergraduate and non-research degree students who have @connect.qut.edu.au email addresses,

Username: \firstname.lastname@connect.qut.edu.au
Server: pod51000.outlook.com

For QUT staff email accounts that end with @qut.edu.au,

Username: qutad\USERNAME
Server: outlook.qut.edu.au

I’m doing my PhD at QUT, and all HRD (ie PhD and Masters Research) students have a different type of emails (similar to staff emails) which end with @student.qut.edu.au,

Username: qutad\USERNAME
Server: outlook.qut.edu.au

How to connect to QUT Wi-Fi network from an Android device?

QUT Wireless (Works at all QUT campuses)
eduroam (Works at all participating institutions)

Setup QUT Student, Staff Email on Android Devices is a post from: Nimal's Weblog

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Brisbane Festival 2011 – Jack Charles v The Crown

Nimal — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 12:30:15 +0000

Today I had the opportunity to attend Jack Charles v The Crown, a moving performance by Jack Charles, at Brisbane Powerhouse. This powerful one-man show tell a sad tale with some though provoking moments.

Jack Charles is one of Australia’s highly regarded performers. An Aboriginal elder who pioneered Koorie Theatre in the early 1970s, he founded the first Aboriginal theatre company in Australia, Nindethana. Jack is an actor, musician, potter and gifted performer, but in his nearly 70 years, he has also been homeless, a heroin addict, a thief and a regular in Victoria’s prisons. A member of the Stolen Generation, Jack has spent his life in between acting gigs, caught in the addiction/crime/doing time cycle. In Jack Charles v The Crown, Jack returns to the stage to tell the story of his life with humour, warmth, song, truth and forgiveness.

I was thinking this show could be about Aboriginal culture, but rather it’s about the contemporary lifestyle of Aboriginal society. Jack Charles puts forward some strong points towards the Australian society, and I could see similarities within the Sri Lanka society and problem of total denial of any social issues.

Jack Charles v The Crown will be performed at Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane Powerhouse daily till September 10. Go to the event page for tickets and more details.

Brisbane Festival 2011 – Jack Charles v The Crown is a post from: Nimal's Weblog

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Brisbane Festival 2011 – Mortal Engine

Nimal — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 12:30:51 +0000

Today I had the opportunity to attend a unique contemporary dance performance by Melbourne based dance company Chunky Move at Brisbane Festival 2011.

Mortal Engine is not just another dance performance. It is a dance, video, music and laser spectacular. More than the intriguing performance, I was amazed by the perfect marriage between art and technology.

Mortal Engine uses cutting-edge technology for movement detection and sound responsive projections. This triggers light and sound patterns based on dancers’ movements, and creates kaleidoscopic patterns and optical illusions. In this interview on InFrame.tv Mortal Engine’s Artistic Director Gideon Obarzanek explains the inner mechanics of the show.

Mortal Engine will be performed at Playhouse, QPAC daily till September 10. Go to the event page for tickets and more details.

Brisbane Festival 2011 – Mortal Engine is a post from: Nimal's Weblog

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Brisbane Festival 2011 – Beautiful Noise

Nimal — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:15:36 +0000

Brisbane Festival 2011 is all about portraying different art forms, and today I got a chance to experience a unique theater performance at the Brisbane Powerhouse.

Beautiful Noise is a stylised aerodynamic performance by Brisbane’s Raw Dance Company and Sydney’s Legs On The Wall. It is a truly spectacular production where performers scale the walls and flying acrobatic dancers draw all eyes up to the night sky, rhythm masters of tap set the beat, while hip-hop artists smash the stage.

I was so into the performance, I wouldn’t have bothered to take photos or video if I had a camera, (and no photography at the venue). Checkout this video to get the feel for it.

Beautiful Noise will be performed at QUT Festival Theatre, Plaza, Brisbane Powerhouse daily till September 10. Go to the event page for tickets and more details.

Brisbane Festival 2011 – Beautiful Noise is a post from: Nimal's Weblog

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Brisbane Festival 2011 – Riverfire

Nimal — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 06:30:18 +0000

Brisbane Festival 2011 is well and truly underway. This is my second year in Brisbane, and I didn’t want to miss the chance to experience Riverfire 2011. This year I choose to go to South Bank Parklands and the plan was to go early and catch a good spot to take some videos. However, thinks don’t play always play the way we want (specially when sleeping all day) and I reached South Bank at around 6pm when it was almost packed with crowds. So guess what, I couldn’t get a good vantage point and the following is a short video compilation of Riverfire 2011.

Here is the unedited long version of Riverfire 2011 videos.

There is lot more events and activities during Brisbane Festival 2011. For more details on other exciting events throughout the Brisbane Festival 2011, check out the official website. You can also follow Brisbane Festival more closely with frequents updates on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr.

Brisbane Festival 2011 – Riverfire is a post from: Nimal's Weblog

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Here comes Brisbane Festival

Nimal — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 06:00:19 +0000

It is the time of the year, which brings the city of Brisbane into a festive mode. Brisbane Festival is one of Australia’s premier festivals and Brisbane’s annual cultural event. Brisbane Festival was developed by the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council in 1996 as an initiative to foster the arts.

Brisbane Festival 2011 will take place from September 3rd to 24th. The event packed three weeks of Brisbane Festival 2011 will kick-start tomorrow, Saturday September 3rd with the Sunsuper Riverfire. On September 3rd, more than half a million people will converge on Brisbane’s riverbanks to watch the city sky ignite in a continuous burst of spectacular colour, music, and special effects.

South Bank, Kangaroo Point Cliffs, and Victoria Bridge are popular places to watch Sunsuper Riverfire. I was on Victoria Bridge last year and it was hard to find a place to put my tripod, even at 3pm in the afternoon. I guess, I would go even earlier this time, either to Kangaroo Point Cliffs or to South Bank.

There are so many activities during Brisbane Festival, including many free events around the city. I would probably miss out on most events as I’m travelling back home this month, but I’m still planning to catch up few events before leaving to Sri Lanka. I’m looking forward to the Beautiful Noise show, a stylised aerodynamic performance that is premiering during the Brisbane Festival 2011. I’m also interested in the Jack Charles vs The Crown show, that could shed some light into the Aboriginal culture and history.

For more details on other exciting events throughout the Brisbane Festival 2011, check out the official website. You can also follow Brisbane Festival more closely with frequents updates on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr.

Here comes Brisbane Festival is a post from: Nimal's Weblog

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A Dinner with the Brisbane Lord Mayor Councillor Graham Quirk

Nimal — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 11:00:05 +0000

Last Friday, Brisbane International Student Ambassadors were invited by the Lord Mayor of Brisbane City, Councillor Graham Quirk, for a dinner. It was a unique opportunity for most of the Student Ambassadors. This video is a snapshot from the pleasant afternoon.

Nimal with the Lord Mayor of Brisbane Councillor Graham Quirk

Photographs from: Leong Ming En

A Dinner with the Brisbane Lord Mayor Councillor Graham Quirk is a post from: Nimal's Weblog

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Another day out with friends: Farm Fantastic 2011

Nimal — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 03:00:54 +0000

Last Sunday I got a chance visit the Farm Fantastic 2011 expo in Caboolture, with some the fellow Brisbane International Student Ambassadors. Farm Fantastic claims to be the Australia’s biggest outdoor retail expo and this year was their 10th anniversary.

We got on a Caboolture train from Central station and there were connecting shuttle buses from Caboolture station. We reached Farm Fantastic by noon. What’s a better way to start than with a lunch. We had some delicious burgers at the Outback Eatery with a flavor of Aussie country music. Some of us choose to top it up with some ice cream for dessert and my choice of passion fruit was ‘different’.

For the next couple of hours we had to roam around Farm Fantastic, looking through a great range of exhibitors and entertainment and stopping by at few.

We had a great time at, I think this is a great way to link the country life to the outer world.

Brisbane International Student Ambassadors at Farm Fantastic 2011

Find more details on the Farm Fantastic website.

Photographs by: Leong Ming En

Another day out with friends: Farm Fantastic 2011 is a post from: Nimal's Weblog

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Five years gone, I’m still here: Blogging

Nimal — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 09:30:03 +0000

It’s almost five years when I started blogging (after few attempts here and there). And surprisingly I’m still doing it.

Photo by Michael Ruiz, available under a Creative Commons Attribution License

The main reason it’s a surprise is, I don’t normally do things for so long. However, blogging has always evolved along the time. I don’t no more blog regularly, but this has been a private space for me to vent out boiling thoughts. Twitter is for public, Facebook is for friends, + is still in the making and this blog is just for me.

I have written a whole range of different posts from my personal life to professional life. However, I’m again surprised with the amount of hits I receive for some of my occasional Tech Notes. It’s only because these post fill in the gap and thanks to Google, it helps someone out there. I have also stopped all types of monetizing from this blog from last year. I don’t think I’ll bring back any ads anytime soon.

There is nothing more to say in this blog, so just checkout my latest vlog.

Five years gone, I’m still here: Blogging is a post from: Nimal's Weblog

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