Signing up for Azure’s free tier was pretty painless (If you don’t count opening each link within their portal in a new tab). Although, a few terms are a bit technical and require doing a bit more research.
I chose the below starting specs for my parent VM:
Zone: Asia Pacific (Central India) OS: Windows Server 2022 Datacenter Edition CPU:2 vCores RAM: 8Gb Disk:HDD 32Gb, 500 IOPS, 60Mbps
*I chose Central India as the Datacenter, because I also wanted to use this VM to access Indian websites, geolocked outside India.
I used the Windows app to remote-in to the parent VM and installed Oracle Virtual Box to host my child VMs. Luckily, the Windows app supports transfer of files from the iPad to the VM, but it is painfully slow (400-700 KBps).
Slow file copy via the Windows iPad app
Eventually, I ditched this approach, because
The on-going costs were more than I was willing to spend on this project (Especially because there is no way to accurately predict how much you will be charged)
The software is quite powerful and except clustering, almost all the features are free.
However, the Hypervisor doesn’t seem to be optimised to run such old OSes. I could get the Windows 98 installation to complete, but I couldn’t get the OS to boot however much I tried.
It was safe to assume even older OSes like Windows 95 and Windows 3.1 would never work. So I gave up.
My Retro Computing plans are on hold for the time being.
I know, I know. I got the Synology DS223j just a month ago. However, I ran across a pretty un-surmountable roadblock with it. It can’t run Virtual machines, which I really want to do. So I returned it and got a Synology DS224+ instead, even though it meant having a device with an Intel Processor.
The first thing I noticed moving from the DS223j to the DS224+ is how much uglier it is.
Synology DS224+
While the DS223j was beautiful and elegant, the DS224+ is an ugly block which has no business being on a living room shelf.
Anyway, function over form. And functionally, the DS224+ is superior to the DS23j in almost every way.
Hard disks popping out of Synology DS224+
The first thing you will notice is that the DS224+ is entirely tool-less. No need to open the entire chassis to plug in the hard disks. The front cover pops out and you can just slot the hard drives in. Also, the drives are hot-swappable.
I think not opening the chassis is good in a way that you don’t accidentally nick critical components fiddling around its insides with a screw driver.
Front panel of Synology DS224+
The second big upgrade is that you can bump up the (2GB) RAM by an additional 4GB, bringing it up to 6GB. The additional RAM allows the Synology to run VMs, among other things.
D4NESO-2666-4G 4GB RAM upgrade for Synology DS224+RAM module installed in Synology DS224+
While the RAM utilisation on the DS223j was always hovering between the 60-80% marks, the DS224+ mostly stays below 20% with my standard applications (DSM, Plex, HomeBridge, Download Center etc) running.
Synology DS224+ CPU and RAM utilisation
The NAS also comes with an extra USB 3.0 port, an additional ethernet port (10/100/1000) and a one touch USB copy feature, none of which I care for.
My biggest surprise was that I found the DS224+ to run cooler than the DS223j (Based on the un-scientific measure of the warmth of air exiting its backside). Especially, because going from an ARM processor to an x86/64 processor, I expected exactly the opposite.
Clearly, the ARM CPU is manufactured using a newer process and has half the TDP of the Intel. This means that either the remaining power consumption is from the other NAS components or that the software is not as optimised for the ARMv8 architecture.
Or that the Realtek chip is actually quite inefficient and running closer to its TDP for the same loads.
Either ways, I tried a few days, but couldn’t get used to how ugly the DS224+ was, so I returned it and went back to DS223j.
Continuing my series, this is about my first race of 2025, in an event called Bumrungrad Race to Heal 2025. All the proceeds from this race went to charity, so I was keen on participating.
I was quite excited for this race because having done a sub-1 hour 10k before, I wanted to see if I could do it again.
I left home by grab bike at 5:00 AM. The race was in the beautiful Queen SiriKit Park at Chatuchak, Bangkok. The park has long, winding running tracks and beautiful lakes. It was a treat watching the sun rise here.
Bumrungrad Race to Heal 2025 10k map
This race was comparatively small scale compared to most others I have participated in.
I was able to maintain a decent sub-6 minute pace for most of the run. Unfortunately, I forgot to start & end the run on my watch on time, so couldn’t gauge my performance immediately. However, I checked the official race records after I got home and was pleased to see that I had improved my time further.
Bumrungrad Race to Heal 10k finisher certificate
With each passing race, I feel fitter and more confident.
Bumrungrad Race to Heal 10k heart rate zonesSplits: Bumrungrad Race to Heal 10kBumrungrad Race to Heal 2025 10k stats
I came home by MRT. Overall, a great start to running in 2025.
Bumrungrad Race to Heal 10k finisher medalBumrungrad Race to Heal 10k finisher medal
It was my birthday and after a rough month on the personal front, I seriously needed a break. What better to relieve sadness than a motorcycle trip to the beach?
The initial part of the ride is nothing special, same as Pattaya which I have already covered here and here. Industrial highway with lots of traffic and a different stink every kilometre.
I left at 4:30 in the morning and it was dark, cold and miserable.
Chonburi Expressway at 4:30 AMBang Chak Gas station on Chonburi Expressway
I made good time and saw the sun rise somewhere in Chonburi.
Sunrise on the way to Rayong
By the time I reached Rayong, the sun was out. The area around Saeng Chan beach is surrounded by beautiful canals.
Canal in Rayong near the sea
The beach was mostly deserted at 07:00, so I spent some time in peace.
At the beach
Saeng Chan beach, Rayong
The beach has a unique shape, forming moon-shaped pools every few meters.
Unique shape of Saeng Chan Beach
Spotted a nice lighthouse.
A lighthouse in Rayong
I needed to be back home by noon, so I left soon to grab a coffee at this cafe.
On the way back, I drove in a more leisurely manner. I spotted this interesting resort with different sections in different aeroplanes.
Recently, I had been looking to move my pirated media away from the Mega + Infuse combo (Mega had been throttling transfers, causing choppy videos). Additionally, I was paying monthly subscription fees for both. So I decided to move everything to a NAS. My main requirement was for the NAS to not be based on x86-64 architecture and especially not an Intel processor. After a tight battle with the TerraMaster F2-212 and ASUS Drivestor 2, I decided to go with the Synology DS223j.
Even though the TerraMaster and Asustor provided more value for money and in some cases more features (Hot swappable drives, 2.5Gbps ethernet expansion), Synology won me over with their superior software and cloud-based backend.
Overall, few weeks later, I don’t regret getting the Synology DS223j at all.
NAS doing its NAS-ing
Storage
The first action after ordering the NAS was to order the drive(s). I didn’t need much storage space, but I did need redundancy, so I went with 2x2TB drives.
WD Red Plus HDD WD20EFPXSeagate IronWolf 2TB HDD S2000VN003
Following best practice, I got 2 drives with similar performance numbers, but different models, as I didn’t want them to fail around the same time. This happens especially if you buy 2 drives of the same model from the same batch.
The DS223j does not support hot swap of drives, you need to open up the NAS chassis and install the drives using screws.
Synology DS223j with 2 hard drivesSynology Hybrid Raid with Fault Tolerance
Synology DSM 7
Synology DSM is a web based interface to access your NAS. It is extremely intuitive and powerful. The first time it needs to be accessed using the local IP; once signed in to the Synology account, you can access it via Synology’s cloud-based web app (QuickConnect).
Synology DSM 7.2.2
Although Quickconnect can allow inbound connections to your server natively using UPnP, I strongly recommend keeping that disabled on your router and using manual port forwarding rules, instead. It can also check if you configured your router correctly or not.
DSM 7 Control Panel Port Forwarding check
The Control Panel lets you configure almost any aspect of the NAS, I didn’t have to login using the Linux Terminal even once.
There was a short learning curve over a few days to understand what “storage space”, “volume”, “shared folders” meant and I was able to settle down on the configuration in a few days.It even lets you adjust the brightness of the LEDs on the front of the unit and auto-change them during different times of the day. (The Blue Power LED is especially irritating early mornings).
Next, its time to install apps.
Media Server-1 : Plex
Media sharing was the primary reason for getting the NAS. I created a separate encrypted Shared Folder to store my media on.
I spent sme time researching and comparing Plex, Jellyfin and Emby. I installed Plex because the Pros outweighed the cons
Plex Pros
Functional, powerful settings
Fast Library scanning
Cloud/Plex Account based connectivity <—Some self-hosting purists would consider this a con
Accurate metadata retrieval
Natively installable from Synology Package Manager
Plex Cons
Hardware transcoding does not support ARMv8 processors.
Hardware transcoding is a paid feature.
Interface is cluttered, Plex tries to shove its streaming services down your throat (Can get around this by using A 3rd party client like Infuse)
Plex Relay is massively bandwidth limited, even with a paid subscription. Without this, need to pay for a public IP and also setup port forwarding.
Plex can see what you have and what you’re watching.
Plex Client, via browser
Once installed, the web interface is enabled. You only need to use the local web interface once to sign in to your Plex account. Further access can be via Plex’s cloud-based web app.
Although Plex can allow inbound connections to your server natively using UPnP, I strongly recommend keeping that disabled on your router and using manual port forwarding rules, instead.
Plex Port Forwarding Setup
It can also check if you configured your router correctly or not.
Streaming performance is great even without transcoding. I never saw the CPU go above 30% when streaming, nor did I experience skipping and buffering.
Media Server-2. : Jellyfin
I also installed Jellyfin to test it against Plex.
Jellyfin Pros
Completely open source
Completely free
No requirement to have a JellyFin account (The connection is directly between the client and the NAS)
Jellyfin Cons
Indexing is slow and painful.
Movie/V Show matching is not as accurate as Plex
Requires more technical involvement to get it working
Since there’s no cloud component, you have to manually choose between a local connection and an internet-based connection (Some may consider this a Pro)
On Synology, the easiest way to get Jellyfin up and running is as below:
Install Jellyfin from Synocommuity using this guide
Enable https access for Jellyin
Set up Dynamic DNS and SSL certificate using this guide
Set up reverse proxy on DSM and point it to Jellyfin using this guide
On clients, you can install the Swiftfin client. However, there’s a catch:
For devices like TVs, you will obviously connect to Jellyfin server using your local IP
For mobile devices like iPhone/iPad, the switching is not automatic (Like Plex). When on the same network, you need to connect (over http) using the local IP, when outside, need to connect (over https) using the dynamic DNS name set up previously. I didn’t bother and set up the WAN connection permanently. This means even when I am at home, I am streaming over the internet.
The interface is cleaner than Plex, as in it is not trying to shove its own services down your throat.
Eventually I found Plex to be a better match for me and got rid of Jellyfin.
Private Cloud : Synology Drive
Having a second backup of all my photos (First backup is on iClown) was the other reason for buying the NAS.
The NAS comes pre-installed with Synology Cloud Sync, which can automatically sync with a public cloud. I would have preferred this way, but unfortunately, iCloud is not among the list of supported clouds (The fault is likely on Apple’s side for locking down their ecosystem). So I decided to use my iPad to backup photos from my iCloud to the NAS.
Now, there’re two apps which you can use to backup your photos From your iDevice to your NAS – Synology Drive and Synology Photos. Synology Drive works quite like the Google Drive and OneDrive apps; it can be used for file management and backup. Synology Photos, on the other hand focuses on photos and can also act like a media gallery. Both can backup photos equally well and do, to the same location on the NAS. Both apps are quite well built and designed.
I wanted to treat my photos as files and didn’t want the photo management features, so I went with Synology Drive.
The options to backup files and photos are quite extensive.
The app automatically backs up new photos in the background, but this process is quite throttled because of Apple’s restrictions. For the first upload, there’s a special focussed backup mode which can keep the app in the foreground, but lower the screen brightness. Using this, I was able to upload all 18000 photos and videos overnight.
Synology Drive Focussed Backup
Backing up files and documents is a more manual process. You need to frequently copy your files to a dedicated sync folder and the app syncs them from there on.
Synology Drive sync task settings
Apart from requiring manual sync every few days, your device also needs to store 2 copies of each file, which is not ideal. Luckily, it takes less than 10 minutes to upload <20GB of documents (~1800 files).
It’s also a waste of bandwidth, because it synced and overwrites everything, every time, not just changes.
Local Storage : SMB
For local storage and backup, I debated between SMB and AFP. Although AFP did provide faster transfer speeds, I went with SMB because of dwindling support for the former.
DSM provides granular control for multiple users, allowing you to choose which user can access which part of the file system. Eg, I created a separate account for my daughter and assigned a file storage quota on a dedicated shared folder for her MacBook to make nightly automatic backups using Time Machine.
IoT Management : Homebridge
Homebridge allows your NAS to emulate itself as an Apple HomeKit bridge, which further allows you to see non-HomeKit accessories in your Home app. The app is completely open source, and so are the plugins. Ideally you need 1 plugin for each non-HomeKit device you have. I used the below plugins
Your IoT devices need to have a consistent IP address on the local network, I suggest setting up DHCP binding on your router. Some of the plugins have quite an involved process of adding devices, but thankfully it is a one time thing. Once done, the data from your accessories will appear in the Homebridge UI.
Homebridge showing data from IOT
Once you add your Homebridge as a HomeKit bridge in your Apple Home, the data is further relayed to the Home app on all your devices.
Xiaomi Air Purifier data on Apple HomeKit via HomebridgeApple Home Room statistics
The experience is not as seamless as native HomeKit devices and this is not what I bought the NAS for, but it was a pleasant bonus, nonetheless.
Antivirus : Antivirus Essential
Antivirus Essential is Synology’s antivirus solution. I am not sure how effective it is, but it is a pain to run the first time. The first “full scan” took 4 days with the NAS too busy to do almost anything else during that time. Even the first time update of virus definitions takes hours.
Antivirus Essentials on Synology DSM
Thankfully, if you enable “smart scan”, subsequent scans are much faster (Around an hour).
Probably the performance is much better on more powerful units.
Download Manager : Download Station
Download Station is Synology’s web based download manager. For a first party app, it is quite powerful. It can download files from a wide variety of URLs & P2P file types.
Synology Download Station URL dialogueSynology Download Station file dialogue
You can even download using RSS feeds. It is not as powerful as some dedicated clients, but it is good enough that I don’t use a 3rd party utility.
During my adolescent years, the third molars in my lower jaw came out crooked. Because of food getting stuck in the space between the second molar and the third, I used to suffer regular bouts of Pericoronitis which was annoying. After years of annoyance and advice from dentists to take them out, I finally decided to do so, late last year.
I had actually considered doing it a few times before, but always chickened out. This time, I decided to go ahead with it. I did this at my regular Dental clinic, Smile Seasons.
Impacted Third Molar of the Lower Jaw
The Process
The first step is to X-Ray the mouth. After that, they were able to tell me that the upper molar can come out via regular extraction, but the lower one would require surgical extraction. I decided to get the left side done first.
After copious amounts of anaesthetic, they wiggled out the upper molar in five minutes. It was a bit scary but painless; I thought my jaw would snap from the pressure. The feeling of the tooth cracking away from the jaw was horrible.
The lower third molar didn’t go so easy. They had to break it apart and it came out in pieces. The root was quite sensitive and they had to keep giving me anaesthesia. It took a long time for it to come all out, while my lips were being stretched like a rubber band. I was relieved when she said it’s done and started applying the stitches. I was already stressed about repeating this for the right side in a few months.
The Aftermath
Recovery Phase 1- First 24 hours
I left the dental clinic with a bunch of painkillers and antibiotics and the left half of my mouth drooling. I was foolish enough to think I won’t need the painkillers, and I was in for a rude shock soon. Once the anaesthesia wore off, there were so many pains, I had to count
Stabbing pain in the empty sockets – 8/10
Burning pain in the gums of adjacent teeth – 8/10
On and off cramps in the jaw muscles (Couldn’t open the mouth properly) – 6/10
Pain in the neck – 6/10
Dull pain and swelling in the lips – 5/10
Dull pain in the front teeth – 4/10
Ibuprofen : 3 Paracetamol : 1 Diet : None
Thankfully, after taking the painkillers, most of the pain turned dull. Remembering the doctor’s instructions, I was careful not to spit the continuous bleeding out, but rather swallow it (And also because I am not fromUttar Pradesh). Tried having an ice cream, but couldn’t finish it.
By evening, I was tired of the ever-present taste of blood in my mouth and could not wait to go to sleep. I didn’t brush my teeth.
Sleep was not very peaceful. Kept waking up and had bad dreams.
Woke up next morning with my mouth feeling like a morgue, full of congealed blood. I also realised that my lymph nodes were swollen (Looked like a ping pong ball protruding from my neck) and I couldn’t swallow without pain. Also, the trauma activated a painful cold sore on my lip.
Recovery Phase 2- Days 2 to 7
Item
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Neck/Throat Pain
5/10
2/10
1/10
1/10
—
—
Tooth pain
5/10
4/10
3/10
2/10
2/10
1/10
Lip Pain
5/10
3/10
1/10
1/10
—
—
Jaw Movement
10%
10%
15%
20%
25%
40%
Ibuprofen
2
2
2
1
1
—
Paracetamol
1
—
—
—
—
1
Diet
Liquid
Semi Solid
Semi Solid
Solid
Solid
Solid
Overall, there was quit a lot of improvement in the first couple of days, after which it kind of plateaued out.
On Day 2, in the afternoon, I developed a low grade fever which went away with Paracetamol. Swallowing was painful but the tooth was more or less OK. I started brushing my teeth on the other side.
On Day 3, woke up feeling a bit better. Lymph nodes were less painful, although still had swelling. Had more or less a normal day, except for the diet.
On Day 4, Tried eating normally, but the jaw just won’t open. The food kept falling off the spoon. Went out for lunch, but got discouraged and ate in for dinner.
On Days 5-6, I started exercising my jaw, pushing it gently to open more. By evening of Day 6, I was quite demotivated by the lack of improvement
Day 7, was the first day in a week when I woke up feeling anything close to normal. My spirits immediately lifted.
Recovery Phase 3- Week 2 onwards
On Day 8, I started running again and went to the dentist to get the stitches taken out. I was relieved to hear that I don’t have a dry socket. After the stitches went, I felt a release of pressure from my gums and over the next few hours, the remaining pain went away.
Over the next few days, the jaw became more and more loose, and I went back to regular food.
By the end of week 2, everything was 95% back to normal.
By the end of week 3, everything was 99% back to normal and I considered my recovery more or less complete.
Repeat, Right side
Last month, I repeated the procedure on the teeth on the right side. Luckily, it went much better than the left
There was very little neck/throat/jaw pain
The pain in the teeth/gums was much less
Unfortunately, I had to get the twitches taken out in India and the dentist was brutal; tugged on the stitches and gums till I had tears in my eyes.
Tip : During recovery, stay away from things that can make you sneeze. Restarts bleeding and increases the pain a lot.
For anyone considering this procedure, don’t watch the video below, or you may end up changing your mind (Like I did last year).
I thought I would do a yearly version of this article. Below are the TV shows I started watching in 2024, TV shows I stopped watching in 2024 and TV shows I tried to watch but couldn’t. Also, TV shows I continued to watch this year.
Overall, I feel I discovered many great TV shows this year. 2 shows (Severance & Shrinking) that I tried, but couldn’t get into last year, turned out to be some of the best ever.
Overall, I feel Apple TV+ is coming out with a lot of great content suitable to my tastes.
Recently, my trusty Hoka Clifton 9 running shoes crossed 600kms & I replaced them with a Saucony Triumph 22.
Saucony Triumph 22
The various Hokas performed quite well over the years and I had no intention to go with another brand. However, the below factors compelled me to
There were no Clifton 10s, still
The existing Clifton 9 (more than a year old model) was still full price
The available Clifton 9 liveries were very drab and dull
I was keen on trying more responsive shoes, so I went with the Saucony Triumph 22, which were on sale. I ordered them from Rev Runner and they arrived within 2 days.
First Impressions
My first impressions, after using them for 10 days, are below, but first, some before-after comparison by numbers.
Hoka last run vs Saucony first run stats
Hoka last run vs Saucony first splits
As you can see, apart from my pace being slightly slower with the Saucony, there’s not much difference between the 2 runs.
For the first few days, the Saucony did feel softer, but as they got broken-in, they firmed up and became more responsive. I also noticed a bit more supination for the first few runs, but it resolved itself once I got used to them.
Hoka Clifton 9 (inside) with Saucony Triumph 22 (outside)
Overall, I think both shoes are quite similar in terms of weight, comfort, responsiveness.
Ever since I have been on Escitalopram, my dreams have been quite vivid. Most of them resemble action-packed Hollywood movies, but some of them are really unpleasant. I have noticed a recurring pattern of vivid bad dreams, documented below:
Another part may be because I value privacy a lot and have always dreaded not hving my own personal space. But I always lucked out by having great/understanding roommates who let me have my own room.
This is another common theme for me. It goes something like
I have to get somewhere soon
My legs have turned into jelly and cannot support my weight anymore and I cannot walk
I can’t figure out where this one comes from. The interwebs suggests this means I am dissatisfied about where I am in life and not being able to reach where I really want to be. Which is strange, because (I think) I am quite satisfied with how my life has been going.
In worst versions, my berth is near the toilet and I can smell piss and shit all day and night
I know where this one comes from. Travelling on Indian trains overnight have been some of the worst moments of my life. I can never sleep. A few times, I even travelled on shared seats. Can you imagine how disgusting that can be?
Indian railways is also one of the most corrupt organisations in India and at one time, it meant that to get a confirmed seat, you had to pay a bribe.
Thankfully, I have not made such a trip in over 15 years.
I know most people have awesome memories of their childhoods, mine are mostly of me being sick (Having cold, mostly). Am not even exaggerating, I used to be sick all the time. But my most common sick dream is
As December came back around, it was time for another (my second) Amazing Thailand Marathon 2024. Last year’s was my first marathon, so I wanted to do it again this year.
Getting There
Getting there was the worst part. I made the mistake of taking a Grab and due to extensive road closures, got dropped off 5km away from the start line. With the clock ticking, I started running towards the venue. On the way, I came across a shuttle bus which was ferrying people who had abandoned the 42k/21k and hopped on it. However, soon, its way was blocked by runners and I spent 20 mins in it while it was sitting stationary while 2 women fainted.
Eventually, I got back off and ran the rest of the way to the starting line & reached just on time.
The race
This race was special, because Eliud Kipchoge was running with us (yes, in the 10k).
They put me in Block D at the back (1h45m finish) and it was agonising trying to outrun the slow pokes and move ahead. The first 2 splits were spent trying to find openings to overtake them. After that it was much easier to run freely.
The weather was cool enough to be comfortable. The route was pretty scenic, passing next to some of the most well-known and beautiful landmarks of old Bangkok.
Scenic route of Amazing Thailand Marathon Bangkok 2024
I was surprised to catch-up to Kipchoge (and the queen), around the 5th split and it was exhilarating passing them. It was nice to see that instead of showing-off and leaving everyone in the dust, he took it slow and let many people pass him. He certainly inspired me and hopefully thousands of others to push harder.
Unlike other 10ks, I did quite well, relatively, in the second half (buoyed by the presence of Kipchoge) and for the first time in my life, finished a 10k below 60 mins.
