MSN Chat Hijack

BE VERY AWARE. Someone can hijack your MSN chat and take your identity to fool everyone in your contact list! Silver Bullet experienced this first hand yesterday night where an "old friend" started to chat with him on MSN with dubious request. While this friend has been on Silver Bullet's contact list for the longest time, apparently they haven't talked to each other in ages. The conversation goes like this (translated from Dutch to English) :

(10:34:40 PM) Bas: hi
(10:34:48 PM) Silver Bullet: Hey bas
(10:34:55 PM) Bas: Quick question
(10:35:00 PM) Bas: Do you by any chance use internet banking?
(10:35:12 PM) Silver Bullet: Yes
(10:35:41 PM) Bas: Could you perhaps order something for me and I’ll pay you back Thursday? I just entered wrong login data 3 times for my own bank.
(10:36:27 PM) Silver Bullet: Just to make sure this is not some annoying virus, can you please clearly identify yourself?
(10:36:45 PM) Silver Bullet: Sorry, I’m a little paranoid when it comes to MSN
(10:37:04 PM) Bas: virus?
(10:37:05 PM) Bas: haha
(10:37:13 PM) Bas: It’s just me, Bas
(10:37:37 PM) Silver Bullet: Thought so, but I’m a little surprised.
(10:38:03 PM) Silver Bullet: Haven’t spoken to you in years, and when you then all of a sudden get the request to pay for something, makes you wonder.
(10:38:42 PM) Bas: Yeah, exactly. Was a rush thing. I got a discount coupon that expires tomorrow.
(10:38:51 PM) Bas: Bummer
(10:39:02 PM) Silver Bullet: What’s it about?
(10:39:37 PM) Bas: A few items on Misco. Total costs are 175 euro Can you handle that?
(10:39:55 PM) Silver Bullet: Gives me an overdraft, don’t really use my Dutch bank account anymore
(10:40:08 PM) Silver Bullet: But if it’s deposited back quickly it’s not a problem.
(10:40:20 PM) Bas: Shall I give you the page then?
(10:40:41 PM) Bas: I’ll deposit some extra for the interest :)
(10:40:46 PM) Silver Bullet: Hahaha
(10:41:00 PM) Silver Bullet: Send the link.
(10:41:07 PM) Bas: ok, just a sec.
(10:41:32 PM) Silver Bullet: Do you still have the same mobile number?
(10:41:49 PM) Silver Bullet: +31 644######?
(10:41:57 PM) Bas: No, just got a new number
(10:42:28 PM) Bas: But that’s offline for the moment. Sent my iPhone for repairs last week. [Alarm bells here. Apparently Bas is not the I-Phone type of guy and hate the damn thing]
(10:42:36 PM) Bas: When it rains it pours, haha
(10:43:26 PM) Bas: 0643102434
(10:43:59 PM) Bas: You still there?
(10:44:12 PM) Silver Bullet: Hold on.
(10:44:18 PM) Silver Bullet: Cat’s acting up.
(10:44:26 PM) Bas: oh dear.
(10:46:33 PM) Bas: Here’s the page.
(10:46:50 PM) Bas: This is the page you get to see after I click “payment” in the online store.
(10:47:05 PM) Bas: Let me know if you can open it up.
(10:47:14 PM) Bas: Your cat ok?
(10:47:41 PM) Silver Bullet: Yeah, sure.
(10:47:49 PM) Bas: Ok then
(10:48:02 PM) Silver Bullet: Give me 10 minutes
(10:48:16 PM) Silver Bullet: Have to finish something.
(10:48:19 PM) Bas: Were you busy with something?
(10:48:20 PM) Bas: ok
(10:51:33 PM) Bas: Ok, I’ll reboot in the mean time.
(10:51:41 PM) Bas: Windows just finished some updates

[At this point, Silver Bullet called up the REAL Bas and managed to get through him. The real Bas was currently at work and not logged on MSN as this conversation took place. Knowing this fact, Silver Bullet tried to string him along to try and get his IP addy.]

Bas: How’s it going?
Bas: Can you manage?
Silver Bullet: Working on something, sorry
Bas: Can you tell me how much longer you will need? That way I can take that into account.
Silver Bullet: Will need about another hour.
Bas: Can’t you squeeze it in? I think it won’t take more than about 3 minutes, haha.
Silver Bullet: Ok, hold on.
Bas: You still have the link right?
Silver Bullet: Yup.
Bas: Working?
Silver Bullet: Can you take a look at this screenshot? Just want to make sure I got it right. [If he had accepted the file, SIlver Bullet would have been able to track his IP addy and his location]
Bas went offline.

The cheek this guy had! I'm just hoping that no one is gullible enough to fall prey to a trap like this. And unless you are really sure of the source, whatever you do, do not click on the links you receive on MSN.

Attitudinous Motor-bike Taxi

Witnessed a not-so-pleasant incident this morning on my way to work at my office lobby.

It seemed like a motor-bike taxi has erroneously brought his pillion passenger to the wrong venue. The pillion, quite a big Arab woman, then argued with him in English that he had brought her to the wrong place. She then took a piece of paper from her bag, possibly bearing the address of the place she intended to go, and insisted that he took her to the right place. I suspect she might have shown him that piece of paper earlier before getting on his bike. A spat quickly broke-out between the two, as the guy refused to take her there and insisted that she go into the building where he had dropped her. She seemed sure it wasn't the right address. Given the circumstances, I'm rooting for the woman.

The woman refused to get off his bike, still insisting that he take her to the right place. The man looked annoyed (a high possibility that he was 'losing face') and refused to go any further, shouting at her and shooed her away. At this point, he tilted his bike sideways, such that the woman would fall off from his back seat. I actually saw her slipped and almost fell to the ground. I bet she didn't expect to be thrown off like that. Clearly, it was rude and definitely unacceptable of him, but he didn't seem to care and just rode off after throwing her off like that. The woman stood there stranded and went raving mad at the entire situation. Apparently, he had kicked her too as she was being thrown off from his bike.

You know what the worse thing is? There is absolutely nothing you can do in a situation like that. Although all she wanted to do was get herself to the right place, no one seems to care that she was treated unfairly. She can scream and shout (which she did!) and kao peh, kao bu and in the end, there's nothing she can do about it, but to let it go and move on. I am extremely appalled by what I saw. Disappointed is an understatement. Sad country this is.

Tanzania: Wrap-Up and Tips

A week! That's enough time taken to tell a story of our little Tanzania trip and uploading some photos along the way. I was beginning to wonder when it will end. Silver Bullet is still in the midst of sorting out his photos...so that will take a little while more before I can post his fantastic pics; pics which I can't quite capture with my compact digital camera.

I would definitely do Tanzania again; time and budget permitting, of course. The country is definitely worth a 2nd visit. Only this time, I would spend 3 days or more at the Serengeti, just a night at Ngorongoro, and other parts of Tanzania. With the exception of staying at the cabin with a personal chef at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, I would give the rest a miss.

Some tips if you ever consider going for a safari:

• Invest in a pair of good hiking shoes - you never know what kind of hiking you have to do
• Binoculars is a must
• DSLR and the mega lenses! Compact digital cameras are proven quite useless for close-up shots of animals in a distance.
• Long cargo pants and long-sleeve shirts
• DEET! 95% no less. The flies in Serengeti are aplenty and super-annoying and I'm happy to just DEET 'em up dead.
• Bring enough clothes to last through the Safari - laundry services can be expensive
• Be prepared to tip. The average tips for a Safari Guide ranges between USD 10-25 per/day
• Bring a strong sunblock. Africa gets 51% of the earth's sunlight...and the sun will really sneak up on you, no matter how cloudy and overcast the day may look.
• Bring sweaters/jackets as it tends to get cooler at night
• Go for the smaller, but reputable Safari company (a matter of preference)
• Don't fly Precision Air
• Bring a flashlight
• Hats, caps...anything to cover your head from the scorching sun
• First-Aid kit with all the necessary medical supplies
• Lastly, have your wits about you. It is not safe to travel alone, especially at night and conveniently, nothing about safety has been explicitly mentioned anywhere in guide books or websites.

Tanzania: Random Images

Just random pictures in no particular order which I thought were pretty cool or just funny.

A painting at Zanzibar Coffee shop

A snack packet from Precision Air

Funny Money worth about USD 150 (~300,000 TZ Shillings)

Shots I Like

The sign on this local bus couldn't have been more apt

Our 4WD was probably the only unmarked/unbranded one around

In shoes we trust!

The trusted binos! Amazing quality for its not-so-expensive cost.

Tanzania Day 13 onwards: The Last Leg

The very first day of our vacation where we don't have to be on the clock. For us, this is not normal at all; but tolerated it nonetheless, given the fact that safaris are usually scheduled itinerary.

As the day was rather overcast, we decided to take a slow walk to the end of the beach. Overcast my foot! The sun was really sneaky and at the end of the walk, I was literally chao tar! I wasn't even tanned, I was blackened like chicken on a grill and Silver Bullet looking as pink as a par-boiled lobster. Stick a fork in us and you'll find Silver Bullet medium rare and me way too well-done.

That aside, it was actually quite a nice 45-minutes walk each way. So nice that even a lone dog from nowhere decided to accompany us. She walked every step of the way right with us till when we decided to stop for some refreshments. It was a long walk indeed and she didn't tire! She seems happy to just tote along.

What we found at the end of our walk is just a humble guest house, Kilima Kidogo. The initial thought was just to take a breather after the long walk and head back to our crappy, pretentious resort. We ended up spending a lot of time there (plus the day after for lunch AND dinner!) and was completely taken to Dina, a South African lady who owned the small and cozy establishment. Even the service from the bar-man was friendlier! The guest house was really nothing fancy with only 5 rooms, and apparently the cheapest on this side of the island at USD 35 per night/person. The atmosphere was, however, certainly different. It was much more homely and exudes the kind of warmth we didn't feel at our resort. The room definitely looked better than Ndame Village and the food at Kilima Kidogo were just fabulous! Dina is an excellent host and is very involved with her guests. She spent a great deal of time talking to us and her other guests, making us feel so welcome. Even the guests here were much friendlier and so easy-going. Pretty much our kind of place - simple, fuss-free and cozy. We love her place, her cat, Zimba and her friendly, warm and down to earth personality. Kilima Kidogo rates high on our recommended list.

The discovery of Kilima Kidogo and making unexpected acquaintances from a blasé walk on the beach made our stay in Zanzibar that much more tolerable. Thanks for having us Dina! You are one hell of a host!

View from our resort, walk on the beach with the bitch

The discovery of Kilima Kidogu & its residents:

@ Zanzibar Airport check-in counter - the start of a long, long flight home

Tanzania Day 10-12: Zanzibar

Departed Ngorongoro and a long drive back to the Watering Hole in Moshi for the night before going onward to Zanzibar.

Zanzibar is an island off Tanzania, dominated by 98% Muslims. It is a half an hour flight from Kilimanjaro airport, comprising mostly of sand and sea. To me, it is just another place to rip tourists off royally.The service of the resort we stayed in, Ndame Village, is nothing to shout about. The room is quite disappointing considering the amount of money we paid at USD 85 per night. The food we had here were mostly over-salted and it doesn't quite exude a friendly atmosphere. I can safely say that Thailand still has some of the nicest beaches, with better value for money. I never thought I'd say this, but the services we get in Thailand at almost similar resorts are definitely much better! Come to think of it, 5 days in Zanzibar was something we definitely could do without. It was almost unnecessary and rather disappointing.

One of the highlights of Zanzibar is the Red Colobus Monkeys, found only in Zanzibar's Jozani Forest. They are highly endangered, numbering around 1,500. Apparently, leopards used to roam this forest, but is now, sadly, already extinct. We did half a day hike into the forest just to see these monkeys. They are quite social and are generally non-aggressive. It was a treat to see them in their natural habitat, oblivious to the world. They get so close to you, I can even touch their tails!

Stone Town is also one of the highlights in Zanzibar. We had spent the entire day roaming into the maze of Stone Town with a local guide, immersing ourselves with the unique looking, historical sights of this place.

Way-laid by baboons on the way out of Ngonrongoro; a stop by the shirt shack (literally a shack):

Jozani Forest, Zanzibar:

Sights of Stone Town where slave trade thrived centuries ago:

Rhinos are a rare sight!

It was really hard to spot the endangered Black Rhinos as they are known to be rather elusive and shy. We did see six rhinos, but they were so far away, we might as say we haven't seen them at all. We had almost given up looking for a closer view towards the end of the day, but at the eleventh hour, JC spotted one for us. Persistence and patience had paid off and the bugger had unexpectedly decided to cross the road right in front of our car (well, almost!). Clearly, the Rhino looked annoyed - probably agitated and confused with the various scents present as it made its way home into the woods.

A former guide from our safari company claimed that he has only seen rhinos crossing his path FOUR TIMES in his 11 years experience with more than 300 safaris under his belt! Imagine the rarity. Another fantastic sight that was!

Getting all tingly...

Up-close and not so personal with the lions. They were obviously in a hunting-mode, but were probably distracted by the number of cars there. The down-side of Ngorongoro being a 'contained ' area and this is during the low season. I can't stand to imagine the number of vehicles there during the peak season (Sept-Dec)!

One of the females had actually stopped just next to JC and started to rub her face on our 4WD, right in front of our noses! Now tell me if that doesn't make you feel all tingly!

Tanzania Day 8-9: Ngorongoro

Certainly one of the most beautiful places on earth. I've said it before and I'm saying it again that pictures just don't do justice to the place. Ngorongoro is somewhat 'contained' if compared to the Serengeti, and game-viewing wise, it is almost of no comparison to what we have experienced in the Serengeti. However, the landscape is worth raving about. Its beauty seen with the naked eyes is simply breathtaking.

Ngorongoro is essentially a unique crater known as a Caldera. A Caldera is the aftereffect of a volcanic collapse, an implosion rather than explosion and was formed some two million years ago. Ecologically it covers an area of 8,300 square kilometers with varied terrain and altitudes. These variations result in diverse and distinct habitats from grassy plains to mountain forest. The Crater itself measures an average of 18 Kilometers in diameter and approximately 700 meter vertical drop. Apart from being home to 25,000 large animals, it forms part of what is known as the Serengeti-Ngorongoro-Maasai Mara ecosystem. This ecosystem allows for the free movement of 1.5 million animals in their continuous search for green pastures known as the migration.

The crater is one of the prime areas to observe the endangered Black Rhino and Black Manned Lions. We saw a few lions up-close, and boy! it was sensational!

Entrance to Ngorongoro, view of and around the crater and a drive in the clouds into the crater:

View of the crater from our room and the restaurant, a bird rescued in front of our lodge (I almost accidentally stepped on her; she was flat on her back, looking rather dead, but still breathing)

Game -viewing around the crater:

Buffalo skull found around Ngoitokitok springs: