I'm normally the person asking questions, getting the answers and making sure I get the answer I want to hear.

But in the last week or so, the tables were turned and I was on the hot seat answering questions from magazine journalists about this and that.

It is a position I am not used to and throughout the interviews, thoughts run at the back of my head..."should I be telling them only what I think they can print?" "should I be just as candid as possible and let them decide what to print?" "should I give them the expected news anchor persona" or "should I be giving them the unexpected man behind the face on tv."

And then I realized throughout the interviews that I'd given them a taste of all of me. A bit of fun, a bit serious, a lot crazy and not so much of what was expected -- a stiff and serious news anchor.

Yesterday, Style Living came over to take snapshots of my most private sanctum -- which I sanitized as much as I possibly can to make it look camera ready.

Now I'm hoping the pictures turn out well -- so my land lady can use it as a selling point if she decides to sell the place or when I decide to move -- whichever comes first.

Travelocity.com went on-line in the very late 1990's and changed the way I plan my trips.

I got hooked when I started booking short Vancouver to Las Vegas trips back then.

Now the internet id my primary tool of choice when I'm itching to get out of Singapore for a getaway.

Travelocity, Zuji, Wego, Priceline etc are great start-off points. Sometime I just browse those websites for deals and decide right there and then if I want a quick weekend getaway to Bangkok, Hongkong or Manila.

I would then check out virtualtourist or tripadviser for hotel feedback from actual customers before I book.

So this week on That's IT, I decided to talk about just that -- my travel experiences as an independent traveler without a travel agent. We also checked out a new and fun way of using the GPS function of your mobile while you are out and about.



We did most of our shooting at the new Changi Terminal 3 too, so If you havent had a glimpse of the sparkling terminal -- here is your chance.

That's IT is every Tuesday nights at 20:30 and 23:30 SIN/HKG/MNL
Wed 13:30, Thur 17:30 only on Channel News Asia.

My dad thinks I'm a bit too old to be "acting" cute on That's IT.

I do keep that in mind whenever we are out shooting for the show but sometimes I just can't help it.



I just had to do this because the moment called for it.

This episode of That's IT must be one of the most time consuming, not to mention ambitious, episodes we've put together. The two Tims strategy would've been better if I can act!

Information-wise, I thought it was timely to talk about new ways of storing our digital memories.

Before we started working on this episode, I had no idea there are on-line storage services out there.

But as always That's IT episodes are inspired not just by the gadgets we encounter on a daily basis but also by my real life experiences and that of my producers.

So we decided to talk about storage because I was running out of ideas on how to properly store and update my stash of a few thousand photos.

We've all become too trigger happy thanks to the digital camera.

So that's where this episode all started from.

Share your thoughts or nightmares trying to organize your digital files.

That's IT Tuesday 20:30/23:30, Wed 13:30, Thur 17:30 SIN HKG MNL

It is our 9th season premier on Tuesday at 8:30 PM SIN/HKG/MNL time.

And it's the 3rd time we moved time slots. That's IT used to air Mondays, then we moved to Wednesdays and now it's on a Tuesday.

This week we show you what we found out from our recent trip to the US.

We travelled almost 30 hours to the East Coast to begin our quest for answers as to what makes a Smartphone a smartphone and not just a phone with email capabilities.

And we found out there is an OS war going on with Smartphone techonology. Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Android and more.

So if you are into Smartphones or would like to know more about it and which one to buy, then you wouldn't want to miss our season premier.

here are some snapshots from our trip

Once in a while, when the weather is unpredictable, when it is wet one minute and hot the next, when it is humid one second and dry the next, I fall into an extreme condition of laziness.

A condition when I try to move slower than a slug. A condition when all I want to do is stay motionless in an air-conditioned room because any move I make will make me break into an irritating sweat.

And this usually happens at this time of the year.

It is difficult just to dust myself up and get to work. No amount of showers -- and I do that atleast 3 times a day -- can perk me up.

This reminds me of long winter weeks back in Vancouver when everything is dark and wet.

When you don't see the sun for days and all you want to do is soak in a tub all day.

This condition usually lasts a week, then I am back to my usual self.

I just don't like the slow down that I am going through now...but it's a once a year affair so I will just have to snap out of this because there are a lot of things to be done.

Like unpack my suitcase that's been sitting there for almost 2 weeks untouched.

Maybe I'll go do that now.

Channelnews Asia recently launched presenter blogs within our website.

I have just started posting entries, and I've been told to promote our blog site.

So please visit http://www.channelnewsasia.com/blogs/ and read our postings there.

Chances are my posts will be similar to ones here, but do check it out and reply.

While I try to figure out how to respond to the comments made.

I've made over 22 take-offs and landings just in the last month both for work and side trips I would take after the work is done.

I've gone on a 30 hour flight to the US East coast, 6hrs to the west, 15hrs back to Asia, 13 hrs to Europe and more.

So yes I do fly a lot to gather material for That's IT, and I don't like what I am seeing whenever I travel.

First, half a dozen American carriers started charging for the 2nd checked-in baggage. Weeks later another handful of them decided to charge a fee for the first baggage, and these are not even low-cost carriers, they just look like one.

Just a few days ago, US Airways decided to do away with free pretzel snacks to save more.

Another airline contemplates using plastic cutlery on-board to lighten the load.

While more and more are grounding fuel-guzzling older jets and canceling flights.

Here in Asia, Philippine Airlines cuts its generous free baggage allowance for US bound flights.

While low-cost carrier Tiger Airways charge a fee for every checked-in bag.

On my recent flight back from Europe to Singapore on-board one of the most expensive airlines, I was awaken by a sweet flight attendant who offered me snacks in between meals. When I refused, she told me to keep them first because they were running out of snacks and meal service wont be for a few more hours.

A few months ago on a similar long-haul flight on-board the same "premium" carrier, I asked for a particular food item, and I was told they had ran out.

So I wonder what's next to be cut. Or what else will we be charged for? Using the lavatories perhaps? A dollar per entry?

What about a fee for the use of overhead lockers or for extra hand-carry items? Buy a barf bag if you feel like throwing up?

What about a fee to be the first to board or deplane?

A fee to make sure airlines wont lose your luggage?

A lot of opportunities now for these airlines to charge us fees in the name of high fuel prices.

But what about this debate, airlines should price tickets based on our weights. So skinny ones fly cheap and full size ones pay more.

And recently Air Canada was also blasted for its "On My Way" service which is essentially paying extra for something an airline should be providing in case of delays, like booking the next available flight and providing hotel and food for stranded passengers.

The difference is you'll be assigned a special agent while those who didnt pay for this option will have to wait in line to be served.

Obama won more than enough Democrat delegates to be the party's presumptive nominee. He is, of course, presumptive until declared a nominee at the August convention.

Hillary Rodham ClingON, meanwhile, will announce on Saturday that she will endorse Obama.

But it is yet to be seen if she will end her campaign and tell her delegates to support the charismatic Obama.

They met Thursday night in DC to iron out their difference, but I think Hillary is keeping her options very wide open.

Many pundits believe she will merely suspend her campaign, hold on to her delegates and her 18 million vote clout.

Political watcher Dick Morris said Clinton will hover above Obama like a vulture waiting for him to commit a mistake, and she will come flying down to the rescue.

Others say Clinton is like a female office clerk who laboured for 25 years and was by-passed for that promotion by a charming new comer. She will stay nearby just in case because she knows charm and charisma can only take you so far in politics.

And then of course there are the acquaintances that will hurt Obama's campaign as reported by the Associated Press Newswire.

Here they are:

JEREMIAH WRIGHT: Obama's minister for 20 years. Famouse for his "God damn America" remarks and for accusing the government of creating AIDS. The Republicans are sure to say Wright is a bigot and ask why Obama would listen to him for so many years.

ANTOIN REZKO: A business man who raised money for Obama. Rezko was recently convicted for mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and aiding and abetting bribery. He also helped Obama in a questionable land sale in Chicago.

WILLIAM AYERS: Forty years ago he was a member of the Weather Underground, a radical group that claimed responsibility for a series of bombings, including nonfatal explosions at the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol. They live in the same neighbourhood.

EMIL JONES: Known as Obama's political godfather who got him where he is today. Jones is known for steering state money to a few favored institutions, including some that employ his relatives including his wife.

RASHID KHALIDI: Khalidi is a scholar and author on Middle Eastern affairs who has criticized Israeli policies and was part of a Palestinian advisory panel to peace talks in the early 1990s.

MICHELLE OBAMA: his wife. Highly criticized for her "For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback" remark, raising questions about the Obamas love of country.

Well, mainstream US Networks favoured an Obama win --- now I know it's probably to focus more on his unfavorable side when the presidential campaign gets in full gear.

Meanwhile, Saturday's Hillary event will be one of the most watched in the primary season. What would she say or do this time.

And as one US news anchor puts it "Obama has the delegates and the nomination, so why is the news still about 'you know who?'"

Because she's a Clinton, that's why, and if anything they are the come back king and queen of American politics.

As it becomes clearer that Hillary Clinton wont win on delegates alone, one would think she would bow out and rally behind Obama as the Democrat nominee.

But she is not showing signs of backing out to anywhere.

She is now courting back her former supporters who defected to Obama when they thought he was leading.

But now that they are so close in the delegate count, what can be Clinton's next move?

She wont step down, but would she take her case to the credentials committee?

Would she argue that she can win the election against McCain?

OR

Would she stand up to her beliefs and run as an independent and forever destroying the Democrat party, a party her own husband brought back to life in the 90's?

She has the testicular fortitude to do so -- but would she?

American politics is just so interesting

Singapore is generally a safe zone, well most of it, except for isolated pockets of crime here and there.

There's always the notion of "it won't happen to me" and as such I've been known to leave my windows open and my doors unlock sometimes.

Last Sunday, while I was flying above the Pacific enroute to Singapore, an unidentified female next door neighbour unlawfully entered my home. At dawn.

A friend was looking after my place while I was away and was woken up when the female knocked a fan down.

She later climbed out of the window onto the front porch and out of my property while utering "I'm looking for my purse."

Well yeah at 5:20 AM you don't just break into your neighbour's place to look for a purse.

She was obviously drunk and I am obviously angry that to this day, 4 days after the incident, there was no apology whatsoever.

I reported the incident to security and they hinted it may not be the first time this "ang moh" woman had done something like this.

So I decided to report the incident to police and let them handle it.

I'm not sure if there are laws in Singapore against unlawful intrusion or trespassing, but I need to protect my own property and the neighbours around me especially those with kids.

If the unidentified woman can enter my place while I was overseas, she can very well enter another home and terrify the kids while they sleep.

Drinking is OK, being irresponsibly drunk is not.

I've been in Vancouver for just a few days...and I found out every adult from the province of British Columbia will be entitled to the Climate Action dividend of upto $100 each!

Of course I didnt believe when I heard it on the radio so I dug deeper.

What is this $100 for?

The government suggests residence to buy energy-efficient light bulbs, shop locally for produce, or purchase eco-friendly upgrades in their homes. the provincial governments seem to believe this can make a big difference.

But seriously, I doubt people will use this money to be eco-friendly, with price of gasoline doubling just in the last year, and food items sky-rocketing.

Would you really use this tax grant to buy eco-friendly light bulbs?

** written Sunday afternoon Singapore time

I’m sitting here in the “comfort” of my narrow Air Canada suite enroute to the other side of the earth...far far away.

I try to kill time, about 26 hours in total flying time, by reading as much local and international editions of newspapers I can possibly get my hands on. (and writing a blog entry that I can hopefully post when I land)

Apart from the daily does of weekend news, two issues prevail in the analysis and opinion pages.
The aftermath of cyclone Nagris in Myanmar, and Hillary Clinton’s inevitable defeat.

So while tucked in comfortably as I can thousands of feet above sea level, I cant help but think about the poor people of Myanmar living just slightly above or even under sea level.

Nargis came and went and left with it a path of destruction and despair.

In Myanmar, legend has it that when a natural calamity of this scale strikes a land, it is a sign of bigger things.

A sign that the gods in heaven are no longer amused with the rulers of the land. A sure indication that the rulers have not been following the Budhist guidlines of “beneficial governance.”

Ironic, isn’t it, that the entire world is now discussing the absurdity of the grave situation in the Irrawady Delta, a desperate situation which could have been eased somewhat if the Military rulers of Myanmar cooperates with relief agencies instead of viewing them with insecure suspicions.

Perhaps General Than Shwe himself is a superstitious character who believes in the ancient legend, sensing that this great calamity is a sign that a power greater than him is finally here to right all the wrongs of his regime.

Reports I’ve read so far indicated condemnation of Myanmar’s refusal to let in disaster relief experts along with the food and medical aid badly needed.

What surprises me is the absence of ASEAN leadership in all the absurdity.

At 40 years old, ASEAN is acting like a 5 year old, sitting quietly, watching, as thousands of people perish in a country in it’s backyard. Maybe even turning a blind eye.

Thai PM Samak Sundaravet attempted to interfere but he too was turned away.

So what is the world to do? When will the UN step in? Will Laura Bush convince her hubby that perhaps a little show of force is needed here regardless of protocol? And Will ASEAN ever have the cojones to push it’s way in and save the lives of millions of people regardless of the consequences?

I know there are formalities to be followed, VISAs to be applied and protocol to be followed, but in a life or death moment, shouldn’t it be a case of saving people first before diplomacy?
And why is ASEAN just watching from the sidelines?

When will the grouping show some leadership in a crisis?

Maybe, hopefully, by the time my plane lands.

************************

Well as we all know now, siince I landed an massive earthquake strikes China, a wild bushfire burns in central Orlando, and tornadoes touched down in many parts of the USA...

Oh yes and Myanmar finally allowed American aid to come in.

and yes Hillary will win Tuesday's primary but she is still in denial.

Rarely would you see such an engaging, entertaining and informative interview than the one between Hillary Clinton and Fox News' Bill o'Rilley.

Readers of this blog would know I am a fan of Clinton. But I do not like Bill o'Rilley at all. I only watch his show to see how far right he would go.

But I must admit after watching the Hillary interview, I have new found admiration for o'Rilley.

He may not be fair, he may be irritatingly aggressive, but watch the interview below and you may just like what he did with Hillary.

What I liked most is how o'Rilley seemed to be amused with her and ended up admiring Clinton for her no non-sense style. She can fire out facts after facts without an uhm and ah in between. This woman knows her stuff and knows how to fight to get her voice heard.

Watch and enjoy the clips. And watch for the reactions from o'Rilley and the banter in the end.








Meanwhile, watch the Obama interview with Chris Wallace and compare the difference of both nominees.

I haven`t had much of an opinion on the on going protests following the Beijing Olympic Torch relay.

It makes good TV to see protesters disrupting the relay and shifting attention to the causes are fighting for.

I am really more interested to see how Chinese officials will handle this growing PR nightmare as we inch closer to the games in August.

And then, while en route to my short holiday I came across a series of pictures in the papers that made me realize what the Olympic torch really means for the Billions of Chinese and their athletes.

By now you`ve probably heard of Jin Jing and how she protected the flames from protesters who tried to grab it from her in the Paris leg of the relay.



These pictures say a lot about how important these games are and what it really means to the athletes involved.

But at the same time, the Olympic stage is the best platform for protesters to air their grievances for the whole wide world to see. Whether it is acted upon or not, their concerns, demands and plight will be noticed, if it hasn`t already.


**************

Sawasdee Pi Mai Krup - Happy New Year to you if you happen to celebrate Songkran.

I whisked away to Bangkok for a looong looong weekend to celebrate what seems to be the only New Year I can celebrate in peace and real merry-making without having to worry about going back to work the next day.

Forget about count downs or fireworks because all we did was splash water and smear talcum powder at each other all along the streets.

There`s something about this Songkran festival that I like.

Maybe it is the chance for renewal, to wash away what`s bad and start the year ( or in my case, mid-year ) all over again.

Maybe it`s just the endless splashing of water to cool down in a warm night. Maybe it`s meeting people from all walks of life, from all over the world.

This year I braved the elements, put my super-soaker aside, took out my Samsung NV10 Camera from it`s ziplock bag and snapped some pictures from my vantage point and pictures with random strangers along the street.



Needless to say, I went back to the hotel to find my camera damp and dead atleast for a night.

But don`t worry, it`s back in good working condition now that it`s dry.

I think it will be sweet if John McCain wins the White House because I think her 95 year old mom, Roberta, is very sweet for campaigning with her son.

She's making sure he remains a good boy on the campaign trail.

On the long road to the White House, both Democrat presidential wanna-bes are now courting Vice President Al Gore.

A few days ago Barak Obama spoke about giving Gore a role in his adminsitration.

Just a moment ago, Hillary Clinton praised Al Gore for his role in her husband`s administration. She said the US would have been a better place now if Al Gore became president in 2000.
And she said she would welcome Al Gore into her administration.

Interesting. It is time to win Al Gore`s support.

Mediacorp launched its latest intercative service on Friday, the Mediacorp EastReader.

From now on you and your friends can read articles from todayonline.com with ease and without any kind of internet connection. As long as you "synch" it first.

So what's the difference between reading news off todayonline.com and Mediacorp EasyReader?

I also don't know until I give the service a few days of trial.

And how am I involved in this?

Apart from being type-casted as the resident chic-geek of the network, this project goes down to Timothy W Go's history for being my first paid TV ad. It's just a token fee, but it's significant enough for me.




and of course, Mediacorp being Mediacorp, it made sure they made full use of my image...since they are already paying for it.




And they can't even get my name right!

The upcoming Taiwan election is possibly Asia's most important leadership race this year.
As usual a lot of issues at play, the most important it seems is the economy.

After years of standing tough against China, Taiwanese voters have finally realized that they might have been in the losing end.

The economy's growth has been sluggish since the DPP took office and provoked Beijing in many ways.

So if you are at all interested in the goings-on in the very dynamic and sometime explosive Taiwan politics, do catch Channel News Asia's Taiwan Election Special, with myself, Melissa Hyak and our panel of experts.

The coverage begins as soon as the polls close at 5PM.



*******

(opinion below is my own and doesn't represent any organization I belong to)

The race that has keep me glued to my TV, my Time Magazines and online editions of American newspapers is the race to become the Democratic party nominee for the Oval Office.

Time and again Hillary Clinton has been written off the race. While it may be true that she is short on pledged delegates and popular votes, the woman still keeps on going, hoping that she will secure enough super-delegates to sway the nomination her way.

There is no doubt in my mind that she and her team may have been secretly wishing a scandal would erupt in the Obama side that would swing opinion and votes towards her again -- and then it happened.

Much have been said about Jeremiah Wright's "insidious" remarks against America and I wont repeat the remarks here.

Obama himself has distanced himself from those remarks, but failed and refuses to disown the very angry pastor who made those statements.

Obama gave a speech to address the issue. A speech his many supporters thought was courageous, "just like JFK," or a speech some say was "the most important speech" given by a candidate since Abraham Lincoln.

The speech was indeed brave, brave in that he brought up the race issue which America, in my opinion, is not ready to talk about. Perhaps he is hoping that by telling Americans it is time to face the race issue and move on, he would in fact, bury the issue since Americans would really rather not talk about it. And in doing so, bury the scandal that his own pastor has involved him in.

But to me the issue is about right judgment and integrity.

Here we have a formidable smart, eloquent man running this race on his ability to inspire. A man who has repeatedly said his sound judgment makes him the best man for the job. He has, afterall, repeatedly challenged Clinton for her vote supporting the war in Iraq.

But do you really believe that for 20 years Obama listened to his pastor and never once thought the Rev. Wright's messages were about hatred? until now?

Do you believe he didn't know this side of his pastor? That no one in the congregation told him about those controversial remarks?

If in 20 years he can't tell the difference, how would he be able to make sound judgment when faced with even greater challenges in the White House?

And what surprises me the most is how American mainstream media is still in love with Obama as though he has not done anything wrong. As if condemning the message but not the messenger is the brave thing to do.

Opinion polls have started to significantly swing back to Clinton's side, promising a bitter and explosive campaign season ahead for America.

On one side I'm hoping Barrak Obama can rise up from this mess and be above it all and clinch the nomination. But I seriously don't think White Americans will let him get-away with it.

Afterall, he just said in a radio interview that his own grandmother "is a typical white person. If she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know (pause) there's a reaction in her that doesn't go away and it comes out in the wrong way."

I wonder what he implies by the term "somebody...?"

This is way too funny!

As silly as the episode was I must applaud the lady for her candid explanation of why she was having a tough time answering an easy question.

Well it is not easy being in the "tough ten" and it certainly takes a lot to stand before thousands in your swimsuit answering beauty pageant questions.

After months of a Clinton-Obama or Obama-Clinton ticket, Hillary finally spoke about it candidly in an interview with CBS's the Early Show.

Instead of sidestepping the issue, she answered it head-on...

Harry Smith : "We talked to a lot of people in Ohio who said there really isn't that significant a difference between you two, and they'd like to see you both on the ticket."

Hillary Clinton: "Well, that may, you know, be where this is headed. But of course, we have to decide who's on the top of the ticket, and I think that the people of Ohio very clearly said that it should be me."

And while Barack and  Hillary continue to trade shots, John McCain is already laying the groundwork for his bid for the White House.

I wonder how much longer before Democrat Party elders sit Clinton and Obama down face to face and get one of them to run as the other's Vice-President...

And when that is done, would Hillary play second fiddle to Barack, or would Barack take the opportunity and train in the White House before trying his chances again?

In anycase, I was glued to my pc and my TV listening and watching developments in the US Campaign race all of Wednesday morning, And I was impressed with Hillary's big win in key states.

She is the real come-back queen. Let's see how far this momentum will take her.