Resonating Ripple

Its Eggsciting! Incubating Chicken Eggs!

2011-08-05T12:46:00.008+08:00

I was thrilled To note that out of my 8 eggs, 6 had embryos!
those 6 were the smaller type, 'kampung-chicken' eggs, while 2 others were larger, with thicker shells. With my poor candling abilities, I'm afraid I won't know whether the large ones are fertilized or not till much later down the road. And sadly, one of large ones cracked... and mom used it for cooking -.-''

(at least you can convince your parents nothing goes to waste in this experiment... if the whole brood fails, well.. you get a huge omelette for your efforts!)

The thrill came because at the start, all of the eggs registered null and void on "ultrasound", and mom said all are duds.. better use them for cooking while they're still fresh. I persevered, hoping that the little ones inside will grow fast and show themselves.. or else I may abandon the project by Day 5 , not wanting to waste good eggs...

But suprise, Suprise!
On the 4th day of incubation, an egg held in hand, I really scrutinized the whole egg surface while candling, and a black dot showed up. I tot it was a shell artifact, but WAIT, the black dot actually moves around when I turn the egg.... Its an embryo!

A Closer look will reveal that it is a round silhouette with tentacles spreading in all directions.. The embryo with blood vessels.

And 6 of them had this!
My Homemade incubator actually works! Yeeha!

Reading online tutorials on incubator making was kinda frustrating actually,
They looked fancy, with detailed instructions, but they do not provide the principles behind the construction. With princicples in mind, we can choose what modifications are necessary to cater to the Malaysian Climate. Many had parts which I felt was unnecessary (leading to unnecessary cost!), and I skipped those in my construction.

A breakdown of an incubator would be like this, with the following accompanying precepts. I hope my explanation cuts it, :-) I had to sieve through lots of information before a whole picture was seen

1) You want a box of any sort (RE-use where you can)- an unwanted ice box, a discarded polystyrene box, a A4 paper carton (or in my case, B5 (=^.^=). The main thing is you need something that can keep the heat in.

2) You need a heat source, to bring up the temperature to about 38Deg celcius or 99.5 Fahrenheit. Eggs Start to develop overseas when temperatures are above 30 degrees (some sources say 20 degrees.. but in malaysia, 20 degrees is considered cold!, my room temeprature averages at 32!!!) at low temperatures, eggs develop too slowly.. and you don't know whether they have stalled, or quit the race altogether. Too high, >40 degrees, and you'll get quarter boiled eggs, the embryos will die.

[did you know that low temperatures make boys and higher ones make girls in Turtle eggs? So, essentially BOYS are COOL and GIRLS are HOT!!!!]

3) Humidity is provided through evaporative methods- and 50-60% RH (relative humidity) for the first 18 days, and 70-80 for the last 3 days. Maintaning humidity is important because moisture is burnt off by the heat. if it gets too dry, the eggs dessicate and the young chick gets plastered to the wall with no room for movement, and deformed chicks result.

4) you want the whole box to heat up evenly, and a fan is used to distribute the heat.

5)Eggs need to be rotated 3 times a day, so that the embryo doesn't get stuck..
the number 3 is arbitrary, so long as you rotate them an odd number of times each day because there will be a period (night) where they will be untouched the longest, and we want the eggs to be in a different position thruout this long period, everyday.

[you may think I'm silly, but I think handling the eggs fosters a bond, which will help with the imprinting process later}

6)Ventilation: fresh air is needed. So making holes on your box near the bottom (heat rises, drawing air from lower areas allows good transfer) does that.

Those are the main points in constructing an incubator of your own.

If you reuse materials-, paper boxes, old light bulbs, your mum's decorative cups (oops!), .. the cost will be below RM5! if you don't go for the gadgets..

Here's what my incubator looks like, on the inside

if you notice from the covered incubator picture, There's this window on the left lower corner for me to see the readings without opening the box. you can make this using thick plastic (or from scrapbook covers/ glass/ or even salvage from those room-with- a- view envelopes).

Inside, Eggs are arranged in 2 rows.
eggs need to be on their sides (natural position), and not in egg cartons(upright) because the embryo may develop upside down and drown when exiting the egg. I made this mistake initially.. so you see the carton at the side, now serving to block off direct heat.

The computer fan is mounted on a cardboard cover, and stabilized with four bikibi-s.
between the heat source (a 60W lamp) and the eggs are a salvaged wooden lid and the cardboard cover. This is so to prevent direct heat from the bulb.. in which the front eggs will be heated up too quickly, the back eggs too cold.
[heat is distributed by conduction/ convection/ evaporation/ radiation. We only want number 2 and 3 here. The boards prevent number 4.

there are glass cups with tissue paper extending out to increase the surface area for evaporation
The Thermo-hygrometer measures the temperature and humidity. I couldn't find a cheaper electronic one other than this.. Which cost RM45 at T.S electronics. If you have a mercury body thermometer at home, maybe you can use that to save cost. There are analog humidity monitors which may cost much less available.
Hmmm... what is this black plug thing? Does it look strangely really familiar?It's to power the fan! As The fans come in various sizes, you need to adjust the Voltage with a DC converter (direct current, from alternating current). Usually old handphone charges will do the trick. In my case, this is a salvaged fan I kept for 7 years!!! knowing that someday I will use it.. MUAHAHAHAHAHa... :p

It's a 12 volt fan, but my charger is a 240V down to 6V converter.. half the amount of required voltage... but hey, It works fine!

In this picture below, you can see the carcass of a massacred darlie toothpaste tube.
Because of using a cardboard box, there was a worry that when left unattended at night, the whole box will catch fire, and bring my 70 year old shop-house down. (we sleep at another house at night) So I needed some aluminum thingy to conduct the heat away quick enough.. mum pointed to the toothpaste tube she salvaged.. Hehe.. Family of hoarders!!!!

Ok, part A is done... the next post, will be about candling your eggs!

Return to innocence

2011-07-31T14:04:00.004+08:00

Long time no post! (=^.^=)

Reason for Hiatus- Enjoying my quarter-year sabbatical over at aoteoroa, Land of the long white cloud!

This post however, will not be about the trip, instead, It will chronicle my foray into egg-hatching!

i've built an egg incubator from an A4 paper carton, computer fan, light bulbs with some scientific help from a thermo-hygrometer.

Was scouting for 2 weeks for kampung eggs, a rare commodity these days,
(The western term for it would be free-range eggs)
And finally I've got 8 of them today!

This project would not have been possible without help from
http://www.backyardchickens.com

Photos will be coming soon!

Musings

2011-03-17T20:06:00.003+08:00

would you be happier, if were someone else all together?
would the sun shine brighter, if you took a different path?

~wondering whether who I am, sucks, again.

Why do I always do it the wrong way?

Been trying to catch myself each time Before I utter something silly
Or do something stupid...

Before it starts to irritate someone.
But I've overwhelmed by my tongue being faster than my brain.

Damn.
I promise to practice greater restraint.

I'm sorry.

得意良曲

2011-02-01T03:01:00.003+08:00

曾经认为这首歌很得意。。。 如今还是`。。但有不同眼光:-)   恋爱症候群 作词：黄舒骏 作曲：黄舒骏    (989 words)  http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/1asB5UQN7V0/

 关 於 恋 爱 症 候 群 的 发 生 原 因

 至 今 仍 然 是 最 大 的 一 个 谜

不 管 性 别 年 龄 职 业 体 重 学 历 长 像 和 血 型

没 有 一 个 人 可 以 免 疫

有 些 专 家 学 者 研 究 后 相 信

恋 爱 是 内 分 泌 失 调 所 引 起

却 有 别 人 认 为 恋 爱 属 於 滤 过 性 病 毒

像 感 冒 无 药 可 救 但 会 自 动 痊 愈

不 管 你 同 不 同 意

至 古 到 今 许 多 例 子 证 明

 恋 爱 不 但 是 一 种 病 态

它 还 可 能 是 一 种 变 态

 一 般 发 病 后 的 初 期 反 应

会 开 始 改 变 一 些 生 活 习 性

洗 澡 洗 得 特 别 乾 净

刷 牙 刷 的 特 别 用 力

半 夜 忽 然 爬 起 来 弹 钢 琴

有 人 每 天 站 在 阳 台 对 路 人 傻 笑

有 人 突 然 疯 疯 癫 癫 突 然 很 安 静

有 人 一 脸 痴 呆 对 著 镜 子 咬 著 指 甲 打 喷 嚏

有 人 对 小 狗 骂 三 字 经  女 人 突 然 改 变 发 型

男 人 开 始 每 天 练 著 哑 铃

食 欲 不 振 歇 斯 底 里 四 肢 萎 缩 神 经 过 敏 发 抖 抽 筋 都 出 现 在 这 时 期

随 著 病 情 越 来 越 变 本 加 厉

人 会 变 得 格 外 敏 感 勇 敢 和 恶 心

写 的 说 的 唱 的 都 像 天 才 诗 人 一 般 才 华 洋 溢

越 肉 麻 越 觉 得 有 趣  有 人 恋 爱 之 后 每 天 躲 在 厕 所 哭 泣

有 人 开 记 者 会 宣 布 恋 爱 的 消 息  有 人 总 是 喜 欢 两 个 人 躲 在 黑 漆 漆 的 地 方

像 做 了 不 可 告 人 的 事 情  每 天 忙 著 找 人 算 命

挖 空 心 思 改 变 自 己 配 合 对 方 的 习 性

把 每 天 都 当 作 纪 念 日

把 自 己 当 作 纪 念 品

每 天 漫 无 目 的 腻 在 一 起

言 不 及 义 也 觉 得 好 有 趣  走 著 坐 著 躺 著 趴 著 都 形 影 不 离

像 是 两 人 三 脚 又 像 连 体 婴

心 里 想 的 只 有 爱 你 爱 你 爱 你 爱 你

也 不 管 家 里 米 缸 有 没 有 米

也 不 管 路 上 有 人 示 威 抗 议

只 管 爱 你  心 里 想 的 只 有 爱 你 爱 你 爱 你 爱 你

也 不 管 海 峡 两 岸 统 一 问 题  也 不 管 依 索 比 亚 多 少 难 民

只 管 爱 你

经 过 一 番 轰 轰 烈 烈 热 恋 时 期

不 久 就 会 开 始 渐 渐 痊 愈

两 人 开 始 互 相 厌 倦 互 相 攻 击 对 方 缺 点

所 有 甜 蜜 都 随 风 而 去

然 后 开 始 从 错 觉 然 误 解 中 清 醒

 惊 讶 自 己 为 何 如 此 不 聪 明

为 了 爱 情 不 顾 一 切 不 管 父 母 朋 友 姊 妹 兄 弟

开 始 感 到 后 悔 不 已

然 后 开 始 感 到 疲 惫 沈 闷 气 喘 心 悸 牙 痛 头 痛 梦 呓

然 后 是 精 神 不 济 瞳 孔 放 大 脾 气 暴 躁 四 肢 麻 痹

终 於 受 不 了 要 分 离

虽 然 结 果 颇 令 人 伤 心

了 解 之 后 也 没 什 麼 了 不 起

爱 情 终 究 是 握 不 住 的 云

只 是 我 想 要 告 诉 你 ：

在 我 落 寞 的 岁 月 里

你 的 温 柔 解 脱 我 的 孤 寂

带 给 我 深 深 的 呼 吸

轻 轻 颤 动 著 我 的 心 灵

我 要 对 你 说 爱 你 爱 你 爱 你 爱 你

不 管 是 黑 夜 或 是 黎 明

不 管 是 梦 中 或 是 清 醒

深 深 爱 你

多 麼 幸 福

让 我 遇 见 你

小心情

2011-02-01T02:15:00.003+08:00

Little did I know
It would show

my vulnerabilities

my vanity

all out in the open
for all to see

I know who I am
more importantly

you know who I am

a little chip here

a crack over there

I'm not perfect

but I try to be

I know what I must work on

Happy that you held on

your faith in me oh so strong

it takes so little

to keep the grin

plastered on your face

it takes so little
to stem the flow
of the tears, you show

what we share

what we care

oh that's so rare

we shall work hand in hand

keep the fire burnin

keep our fingers crossed

and keep the faith going

that we're meant for each other

that we'll work together

hopefully, it'll last forever.

dedicated to "morepork", my love.

We share~

a love for cuteness

we laugh at the smallest thing

(and we hug at every available occasion!;p)

a sense of easy contentment

understand the need for frugality

a love for the written word

art, though in different forms

passion in the things we believe in

trust in each other

comprehend the importance of communication and discussion

realize that there is so much we don't know, and be willing to learn

and more importantly, we support the other in all things we don't (currently) share.

Ruru~ I love you!

Ode

2011-01-30T13:02:00.005+08:00

As the rains fall....
the tears follow...

we bid our last goodbyes,

as the children cry,

although mum says

"he's gone to a better place"

they can't help themselves out of the daze

our life's work

is judged by our ways

how you're sent off will depend,

who's hand you held
and who's live's you've touched

be it so small

the footprint says it all
everyone's not an island

lives are helplessly linked

even when a tiny pebble comes along

the ripples spread far and wide

may you rest well

may you have joy

may your spirit and wisdom

be carried on....

Dedicated to my Neighbour, Uncle Goh- who passed away This wednesday, 26th January, 2011

Song About me Hehe

2011-01-01T17:59:00.000+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBzA76QGgz8

Float like a butterfly, Run like a lizard; on water!

2010-12-09T22:54:00.003+08:00

Have you heard of Jesus Lizards or Basilisk Lizards?

The former got their name from being able to split the streams they run in into two.. heh, Just kidding.

It comes from their ability to run across water for 4-5 metres at a time, at their hindlegs!

why my sudden interest in these lizards?

Because right now I may be taking care of one!

This little guy, I don't his common name, nor his species but what I can describe about him, is this.

He measures Around 8.5cm from head to tail, at the moment,
with the head and body taking up 3.0 cm.. the rest of him all tail!
He's got a splayed hind foot, with the fourth toe the longest,
and he's got eye marking on the back of his head, something reminiscent of Cobras.

I'm guessing what he will grow up to be

1)- A Chameleon,
2)- An Iguana
3)- A running lizard
4)- A house lizard. LOL

And his long tail piqued my interest.

Here's what I found.

Bipedal Lizards at blistering speed
explains via freeze frame as well as videos (lab) how lizards run faster bipedally.

Here's a National Geographic Video, of a Young Basilisk Lizard runs on Water

And here: Is the explanation of how it freakin does it!

And I'd appreciate any guesses to what kinda Dinosaur or Dragon he is! :-)::-)

Need Help With Species Identification

2010-12-06T23:28:00.006+08:00

Calling out to Any backyard Naturalist that happen to pass by:
Need your help with putting a name to the subjects of my photographs!

Location: FRIM Outpost in Teluk Intan/ Bidor and Teluk Intan itself

More photos of this series can be seen HERE

Preview - NZ diaries

2010-11-09T00:38:00.001+08:00

1) Wanna go back to the days where manual labour was the order of the day and my gray matter can rest (its cerebellum) on its laurels.

2) To get attuned to my instincts, to hone my 6th sense, to feel the vibe of the earth, to get in touch with Gaia! To trust my gut feeling and go with the flow. and be steadfast with what happens next, no complaints! Learn to make a decision and bear the consequences!

3) What will it b like to be in the company of someone for 2 whole months! despite her being the love of my life; I think it'll take some getting used to, and wonder whether will we ever get tired of each other? hmmmm.... Preview of future houseman life....?

4) Learn to put Dale CArnegie to the fore. By going to someplace new, where everyone is a stranger, where no one has preconceived notions about me, I'm free to tweak my personality and demeanour. GRanted, I've always been myself, And now I'll try NOT to be myself, and see how that works for me, in terms of building relationships. Maybe the real me has been a Jackass all this while. LOL

i wanna learn to be a great storyteller! It will help in catching people's attention for my environmental work!

5)I'll probably be stuck in my profession for at least a good 20 years (after which I'll aim for retirement one way or another. Medicine will be on the side. Like Potato chips on the side of Nando's Chicken, ru hui's favourtie dish. (Oh shit. In Leru's case, The chips are the main course, the chicken? probably she thinks of it as coleslaw. LOL). So, Before I get stuck in Mud for the next 2 decades, I'll go for fresh stuff and new experiences... and build life stories and anecdotes for my children.

6) maybe I can join an environmental network in New Zealand. And ruru can join the knitting and sketching society! That way when we get too bored with each other, we'd have other people to complain about each other. HEH!

7) LEAP of FAITH. BUNGEEEEEEEEE.
SKydiving! Things to do! Play with kiwi bird! and compare size. ^.^

Tochang... Tong tong tong chiang! LOL

2010-11-01T00:18:00.001+08:00

True Blue Malaysian. Need more of 'em!

http://sayaanakbangsamalaysia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=477:fundamentally-azmi&catid=34:that-malaysian-thing&Itemid=93

Theatera Bombastica?

2010-10-24T15:26:00.004+08:00

Below is from a page calling for membership in MMA's(Malaysian Medical Association) Magazine

The branches and sections of the MMA, (SCHOMOS & PPSMMA) need to be active so that MMA grows. They need to garner more support for MMA so that MMA speaks with a stentorian voice on matters affecting the profession. Doctors should not stay billeted within the confines of their workspace. Doctors are not in a couture profession.

The MMA needs to asseverate its position very clearly to the Government so that the MMa can forfend policies that are detrimental to the public and the profession. Fortunately, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has a warm and engaging relationship with MMA. The MOH has always lent their ears to the EMMA. There are moments when sensitivities are kindled but to have a meaningful relationship which works for the hoi polloi of the nation, not just the doctors, the MMA perseverates on some policy matters till a satisfactory exegesis is obtained during the meetings. Unlike others, the MOH does not have a carapace of arrogance. Under the mentorship of the warm minister and the effervescent DG of health, the MMA has gone places with the MOH. But sometimes the government appears to draw up a gallimaufry of health policies without consulting the MOH. The government needs to take cognizance of the view of the MOH and MMA

The MMA should never go into a soporific mode and stay alert to the developments and directions the Government takes on health matters. We, as doctors, should contribute our ideas. We should get involved and thus far, the MOH has been responsive to the EMMA. We should be engaging, involved and cogitate in resolving burning issues and not be intrepid however obfuscate the policy is.

The MMA receives a stream of outright billingsgate from some members. But, we have to be realistic. Diplomacy and meetings which are germane to the issue will be a benison to all of us. No issue should be blown to Brobdingnagian proportions that cannot be resolved. We need irenic diplomacy and civic humanism to resolve matters rather than adopt a myrmidon stance. MMA does not rusticate on issues affecting the profession. Be assured that the MMA looks into all problems that affect the public and private sector doctors. The media does not always carry MMA's ratiocinating views.

On your part, get your friends to join the MMA and make MMA more roborant so that the profession is viewed with more empathy and respect.

Have fun interpreting the Article!

The meanings are listed below in order of appearance

1. Booming

2. Lodging- staying in

3. High fashion design – as in haute couture

4. Assert

5.Prevent the Occurence of

6. Interpretation (used in the context of the bible)

7. Bubbly, (though its hard to imagine the DG of health being bubbly..)

8. A motley assortment of- the three stooges?

9. Ken. Comprende. Savvy

10. Sleep inducing - like our lectures

11. Think

12. Make obscure - cover with a veil

13. Foul-mouthed or obscene abuse. profanity

14. A spoken blessing (as opposed to deer meat? LOL)

15. Immense – referring to imaginary country of Brobdingnag (What the Hell?)

16. Conducive to peace

17. a member of the warriors who followed Achilles on the expedition against Troy- a follower who follows orders without question
(as opposed to following without thinking? well, it can't be helped if the leader's cerebral capacity is so constricted- think UMNO) lol.- coin- UMNO-nic stance.

(case in point

"Johor Baru Puteri Umno chief Azura Mohd Afandi wants the Information Ministry to curb television shows and commercials that could lead people astray from the right religious paths. “For example, commercials on sanitary pads are openly shown on TV and this could influence the young to get involved in social ills,” said Azura")

18. Leaving a rustic idyllic life- in this context, I think it means "rest and do nothing about", here.

19. Reason methodologically and logically

20. Restoring vigor or strength.

PS-*Theatera bombastica probably can't be found because... well, I coined it. Lol*

Parenting: East Vs West 孩子教育学问深奥!

2010-10-21T21:15:00.003+08:00

Such as interesting article, I don't know the source, but kudos to the author!

洋媳婦的教育方法...令中國婆婆大開眼界~

兒子去美國留學，畢業後定居美國。還給我找了個洋媳婦蘇珊。如今，小孫子托比已經3歲了。今年夏天，兒子為我申請了探親簽證。在美國待了三個月，洋媳婦蘇珊教育孩子的方法，令我這個中國婆婆大開眼界。

不吃飯就餓著

每天早上，托比醒來後，蘇珊把早餐往餐桌上一放，就自顧自地忙去了。托比會自己爬上凳子，喝牛奶，吃麵包片。吃飽後，他回自己的房間，在衣櫃裡找衣服、鞋子，再自己穿上。畢竟托比只有3歲，還搞不清楚子的正反面，分不清鞋子的左右腳。有一次托比又把褲子穿反了，我趕緊上前想幫他換，卻被蘇珊制止了。她說，如果他覺得不舒服，會自己脫下來，重新穿好；如果他沒覺得有什麼不舒服，那就隨他的便。那一整天，托比反穿著褲子跑來跑去，蘇姍像沒看見一樣。

又一會而，托比出去和鄰居家的小朋友玩，沒多久，氣喘吁吁地跑回家，對蘇珊說：「媽媽，露西說我的褲子穿反了，真的嗎？」露西是鄰居家的小姑娘，今年5 歲。蘇姍笑著說：「是的，你要不要換回來？」托比點點頭，自己脫下褲子，仔細看了看，重新穿上了。從那以後，托比再也沒穿反過褲子。

我不禁想起，我的外孫女五六歲時不會用筷子，上小學時不會繫鞋帶。如今在上寄宿制初中的她，每個週末都要帶回家一大堆髒衣服呢。

一天中午，托比鬧情緒，不肯吃飯。蘇珊說了他幾句，憤怒地小托比一把將盤子推到了地上，盤子裡的食物灑了一地。蘇姍看著托比，認真地說：「看來你確實不想吃飯！記住，從現在到明天早上，你什麼都不能吃。」托比點點頭，堅定地回答：「Yes!」我在心裡暗笑，這母子倆，還都挺倔！

下午，蘇珊和我商量，晚上由我做中國菜。我心領神會，托比告別愛吃中國菜，一定是蘇珊覺得托比中午沒好好吃飯，想讓他晚上多吃點兒。

那天晚上我施展廚藝，做了托比最愛吃的糖醋裡脊、油悶大蝦，還用意大利麵做了中國式的涼麵。托比最喜歡吃那種涼麵，小小的人可以吃滿滿一大盤。

開始吃晚飯了，托比歡天喜地地爬上凳子。蘇珊卻走過來，拿走了他的盤子和刀叉，說：「我們已經約好了，今天你不能吃飯，你自己也答應了的。」托比看著面容嚴肅的媽媽，「哇」地一聲在哭起來，邊哭邊說：「媽媽，我餓，我要吃飯。」「不行，說過的話要算數。」蘇珊毫不心軟。

我心疼了，想替托比求情，說點好話，卻見兒子對我使眼色。想起我剛到美國時，兒子就跟我說，在美國，父母教育孩子時，別人千萬不要插手，即使是長輩也不例外。無奈，我! 只好保持沉默。

那頓飯，從始至終，可憐的小托比一直坐在玩具車裡，眼巴! 巴地看著我們三個大人狼吞虎嚥。我這才明白蘇珊讓我做中餐的真正用意。我相信，下一次，托比想發脾氣扔飯碗時，一定會想起自己餓著肚子看爸爸媽媽和奶奶享用美食的經歷。餓著肚子的滋味不好受，況且還是面對自己最喜愛的食物。

臨睡前，我和蘇珊一起去向托比道晚安。托比小心翼翼地問：「媽媽，我很餓，現在我能吃中國面嗎？」蘇珊微笑著搖搖頭，堅決地說：「不！」托比嘆了口氣，又問：「那等我睡完覺睜開眼睛時，可以吃嗎？」「當然可以。」蘇珊溫柔地回答。托比甜甜地笑了。

大部分情況下，托比吃飯都很積極，他不想因為「罷吃」而錯過食物，再受餓肚子的苦。每當看到托比埋頭大口大口地! 吃飯，嘴上臉上粘的都是食物時，我就想起外孫女。她像托比這麼大時，為了哄她吃飯，幾個大人端著飯碗跟在她屁股後面跑，她還不買賬，還要談條件：吃完這碗買一個玩具，再吃一碗買一個玩具……

以其人之道，還治其人這身

有一天，我們帶托比去公園玩。很快，托比就和兩個女孩兒玩起了廚房遊戲。塑料小鍋、小鏟子、小盤子、小碗擺了一地。忽然，淘氣的托比拿起小鍋，使勁在一個女孩兒頭上敲了一下，女孩兒愣了一下，放聲大哭。另一個女孩兒年紀更小一些，見些情形，也被嚇得大哭起來。大概托比沒想到會有這麼嚴重的後果，站在一旁，愣住了。

蘇珊走上前，開清了事情的來龍去脈後，她一聲不吭，拿起小鍋，使勁敲到托比的頭上，托比沒防備，一下子跌坐在草地上，哇哇大哭起來。蘇珊問托比：「疼嗎？下次還這樣嗎？」托比一邊哭，一邊拚命搖頭。? 說他以後再也不會這麼做了。

托比的舅舅送了他一輛淺藍色的小自行車，托比非常喜歡，當成寶貝，不許別人碰。鄰居小姑娘露西是托比的好朋友，央求托比好幾次，要騎他的小車，托比都沒答應。

一次，幾個孩子一起玩時，露西趁托比不注意，偷偷騎上小車，揚長而去。托比發現後，氣憤地跑來向蘇珊告狀。蘇珊正和幾個孩子的母親一起聊天喝咖啡，便微笑著說：「你們的事情自己解決，媽媽可管不了。」托比無奈地走了。

過了一小會兒，露西騎著小車回來了。托比看到露西，一把將她推倒在地，搶過了小車。露西坐在地上大哭起來。蘇珊抱起露西，安撫了她一會兒。很快，露西就和別的小朋友興高采烈地玩了起來。

托比自己騎了會車，覺得有些無聊，看到那幾個孩子玩得那麼高興，他想加入，又覺得有些不好意思。他蹭到蘇珊身邊，嘟囔道：「媽媽，我想跟露西他們一起玩。」蘇珊不動聲色地說：「那你自己去找他們啦！」「媽媽，你陪我一起去。」托比懇求道。「那可不行，剛才是你把露西弄哭的，現在你又想和大家玩，就得自己去解決問題。」

托比騎著小車慢慢靠近露西，快到她身邊時，又掉頭回來。來回好幾次，不知道從什麼時候開始，托比和露西又笑逐顏開，鬧成了一團。

管教孩子是父母的事

蘇珊的父母住在加利福尼亞州，聽說我來了，兩人開車來探望我們。家裡來了客人，托比很興奮，跑上跑下地亂竄。他把玩沙子用的小桶裝滿了水，提著小桶在屋裡四處轉悠。蘇珊警告了她好幾次，不要把水灑到地板上，托比置若罔聞。最後，托比還是把水桶弄倒了，水灑了一地。興奮的小托比不覺得自己做錯了事，還得意地光著腳丫踩水玩，把褲子全弄濕了。我連忙找出拖把準備拖地。蘇珊從我手中搶過拖把交給托比，對他說：「把地拖幹，把濕衣服脫下來，自己洗乾淨。」托比不願意，又哭又鬧的，蘇珊二話不說，直接把他拉到貯藏室，關了禁閉。聽到托比在裡面發出驚天動地的哭喊，我心疼壞了，想進去把他抱出來。托比的外婆卻攔住我，說：「這是蘇珊的事。」

過了一會兒，托比不哭了，他在貯藏室裡大聲喊：「媽媽，我錯了。」蘇珊站在門外，問：「那你知道該怎麼做了嗎？」「我知道。」蘇珊打開門，托比從貯藏室走出來，臉上還掛著兩行淚珠。他拿起有他兩個高的拖把吃力地把地上的水拖乾淨。然後，他脫下褲子，拎在手上，光著屁股走進洗手間，稀里嘩啦地洗起衣服來。

托比的外公外婆看著表情驚異的我，意味深長地笑了。這件事讓我感觸頗深。在很多中國家庭，父母管教孩子時，常常會引起「世界大戰」，往往是外婆外公護，爺爺奶奶攔! ! 夫妻吵架，雞飛狗跳。

後來，我和托比的外公外婆聊天時，提到這件事，托比的外公說了一段話，讓我印象深刻。他說，孩子是父母的孩子，首先要尊重父母對孩子的教育方式。孩子雖然小，卻是天生的外交家，當他看到家庭成員之間出現分歧時，他會很聰明地鑽空子。這不僅對改善他的行為毫無益處，反而會導致問題越來越嚴重，甚至帶來更多別的問題。而且，家庭成員之間發生衝突，不和諧的家庭氛圍會帶給孩子更多的不安全感，對孩子的心理髮展產生不利影響。所以，無論是父輩與祖輩在教育孩子的問題上發生分歧，還是夫妻兩人的教育觀念有差異，都不能在孩子麵前發生衝突。

托比的外公外婆在家裡住了一週，準備回加利福尼亞了。臨走前兩天，托比的外公鄭重地問女兒：「托比想要一輛玩具挖掘機，我可以買給他嗎？」蘇珊想了想，說：「你們這次來，已經送給他一雙旱冰鞋作為禮物了，到聖誕節時，再買玩具挖掘機當禮物送給他吧！」

我不知道托比的外公是怎麼告訴小傢伙的，後來我帶托比去超市，他指著玩具挖掘機說：「外公說，聖誕節時，給我買這個當禮物。」語氣裡滿是欣喜和期待。

雖然蘇珊對托比如此嚴格，托比卻對媽媽愛得不得了。他在外面玩時，會採集一些好看的小花或者他認為漂亮的葉子，鄭重其事地送給媽媽；別人送給他禮物，他會叫媽媽和他一起拆開；有什麼好吃的，也總要留一半給媽媽。

想到很多中國孩子對父母的漠視與冷淡，我不得不佩服我的洋媳婦。在我看來，在教育孩子的問題上，美國媽媽有很多值得中國媽媽學習的地方。

The Sentimental Luddite

2010-10-03T12:27:00.011+08:00

Is sentimentality over-rated?

If you've chanced by the article about a tomboyish girl and her 11 year old pink scissors given by her mum (which she hated) and now cherish in memory [in Starmag today, 3rd of October, TheStar.] it might trigger your thoughts a little.

My dad had a watch, given by his dad, which he used for more than 45 years. He couldn't part with it even when it breathed its last (despite innumerable fixes and CPRs). And I believe he's still keeping it somewhere safe, laying in the midst of his black hole of a Cabinet

Then there's this guy in ?japan ?UK who has been using the same Gillete Razor for 75 years.

I bet if you're Gillette, he'd be The MOST LOYAL customer ever, that you wouldn't want, LOL. Coz his first purchase, is his last purchase..

Do you have something in your keeping that you know will practically be useless, even as a decorative piece? I know I have plenty....

Nowadays, there's a Gadget-Grabbing Techno Rage that surrounds us, Iphone 4 being the recent case in point.

With radio deejays, blog posts humming the Apple's Tune, there's really been a craze over it...

but, as I've said in my facebook wall-post,

Going out for dinner that day, we saw how many parents gave their childrens gadgets; initially it could have started with a mobile phone java game- parents passing the phone to child who claims they are bored in order to shut them up so that parents can do their shopping in peace.

Now we have dad, mom, and child playing with gadgets during dinner, with grandma looking forlorn at the food because no one is talking at a meal.

I believe children who you shut up with gadgets, will really no longer talk to you when they are adolescents, being absorbed by the fancy tech, and the relationship will just turn worse into adulthood.

So I'm a luddite; until we can really plan, and educate them about using it responsibily. I've seen People who get caught up with gadgets, often turning into otakus, becoming less adventurous, reliant on their GPS, lose their natural instincts for adventure... bla bla bla..

Coz I really pity the grandma... and discussion with my colleagues on it. 3 out of 4 of them recommend that they should buy grandma a gadget.

It's really Sweat inducing, their mentality...

Technology should improve communication, not stifle it. Especially within families.

---

That said, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, as they are entitled to the autonomy over their own cash. But maybe you'd like to hear me out...?

Although often situations make me hail 3 times to the person who espoused

"Nature is awesome, adventure is wholesome, Human Beings, plain troublesome"

I'm actually sentimental with human relationships as well. And striking up conversation with strangers on my trips and forging unique relationships has always been a part of me, and has always enlivened my adventures everywhere. 或许我贵人运不错？

My latest trip to Brunei alone has two such people touch my lives. One who is a resort manager,

(the guy in blue, that's my saviour!)

who went out of his way to help secure a stay for me at a rival lodge because I'm a student who couldn't afford his accommodation. This swell guy actually called two other tour operators and even concocted the story of me being an exchange student to help me secure a stay in Ulu Temburong, without which these pictures would never have been taken.

Another is a poor little ol lady who has no friends, cheated by her husband in relationship, and of money by the hubby's little vixen, and ostracized by her own family because of her subsequent depression- who was my tour guide, personal transporter and story-teller in and out of Bander Seri Bagawan.

Sabah- where the resort operator for Halleluyah hill resort gave us a whole apartment to ourselves when we paid the amount for a room, invited ruhui for hot showers in their own home, and dished out finger licking meals fro a paltry RM5, just a stone's throw away from Mount Kinabalu. Their numerous pets entertained us, as much as their owners did!

Over in Terengganu,

there's this extremely tasty yummy juice drink that's almost 100% real, thick, fruit puree sold in a little shop for RM3.00, and I would return to the stall like a homing pigeon everyday after cycling through KT.

I chatted with the lady during my 1st visit, on my second visit, she offered us free keropok lekor,

and on my 3rd visit, we enjoyed a coconut mango, straight from her garden!... It's a stall I vow to return to if and when I go there..

then there's also this gentleman who runs a bubble milk tea stall opposite Ping Anchorage, where I was staying...

had a short chat with him... then on my second visit, he invited me to play badminton with his pals, and even prepared badminton shoes in addition to the racquets for me because he knew I wouldn't be well prepared.

So on the last day before I left terengganu, I had a great game with uncles and aunties in terengganu, haha...

That,

Friend, and friends of said friend while in UK, Cheery lil lady Yumi while in Hong Kong, ... another lady who gave me a discount because I didn't have enough cash with me, no questions asked while in terengganu; marvelous people who I would not have met or talked to were I having me head down looking at a GPS instead of asking for directions, or playing a Java Game instead of striking up a conversation with a fellow bus passenger. Therefore, I'm a placard carrying dude who lifts the sign: a handphone, should be a handphone, and nothing more.

Speaking about losing our natural instincts, strip the handphone of a teen anywhere- and he'd rather part with his wallet no matter the amount or cost- and you'd find him dumbfounded,disorientated and lost in the city. this is not conjecture. This came from an Interview I made with one. And Experienced with many, my relatives included.

why are we revolving our lives around gadgets and tools when they should be just an aid, a hammer we occasionally use, a lightbulb we change now and then.

By the way, how many 21st Gen Y adults do you need to change a lightbulb? 5;

one to call up a electrical engineer friend to complain,

one to tweet :"OMG! D wurld 's ending, 'm blind, 'm freakin scared X("

one to blog about his blackout experience in an overdramatic fashion,

one to surf wikipedia to find out,

and one to turn to DIY-for-dummies to learn how to unfold a collapsible ladder)

Har har..says you. now, which 3 parts should you suspect is bust when the flourescent light blows out?

Gee... My post looks pretty protracted by now... but, this is a topic that I will certainly return to, no doubt about it...

I'd end the post with this video on sustainable consumerism, enjoy :-) It starts slow, but it will certainly not ring hollow.

The price of consumerism- on the planet, on other people, on ourselves,

Notice what are:

Externalizing costs

Planned and perceived obsolescence
The purpose of an ad, is to make you unhappy with what you have.

By buying the newest gadget that money can buy, are you falling into the trap?

ps.- the answer, the flourescent tubing, the starter, and the choke.

Musings- Passing the buck?

2010-09-12T00:12:00.011+08:00

Caution- This would be one of those hard to understand posts, again :-(

Eh recap recap we're gonna do it again;
again and again, nothin' gonna change;

Rain rain, rain down the pain;
I will stand up to it;
stand up to the pain;

Embers of the flame;
tears of the shame;
crying, well, that ain't lame;

coz it helps to deal with the pain

Part of what shaped me into who I am today, silly as it may seem, stems from lessons I got, from Japanime.

The first anime that gave me a sense of direction, the unmistakable lesson of reasons to be, raison detre even, if you will

was Samurai-X.

Kenshin Himura, he was my hero of sorts.

He thought me about standing up for those who didn't have a voice,
to be true to myself, (oh how hackneyed can this be? LOL), to fight for what I believe is right... and that "truth" is what you perceive as real, though there may many versions of it depending who you are talking to ... where justice means very different things depending on where you stand.

Because of sanosuke Sagara, I punched the wall, hoping to train my knuckles into fists of steel. Futae no Kiwami- well, turns out there is Wolf's Law.. which states that bone hardens and toughens from stresses placed on it.

conversely, disuse weakens the bone, much as what is experienced by astronauts in zero gravity.

Either way, I punched my way thru year 2001 to 2010.. and indeed I have pretty tough fists.. if I may say so hohoho.. Few times, I punched till my hands bled. Just recently, I bled my knucles again, despite wearing protective bandage... and it was only a Sandbag... well me keeping at it for half an hour contributed much I guess!

Now I have a sense of deja vu with Naruto with the "pain" Arc...
The anime was so so from the start... dipped down very badly during filler arcs before shippuden.. and now things are really really picking up.

I think, these few days, watching selected episodes of the anime....
I figure that Jiraiya is my favourite character...

I don't know... maybe its him passing on his hopes and dreams onto his disciples.

Maybe its because:

Much as I try to better myself, in terms of spreading the conservation message...
I just seem to be knocking into many brickwalls.

From 2001, when I first brushed shoulders with environmentalism through the river terrapin conservation programme in Dungun, Terengganu with Prof Chan...

(prof chan is the one in the middle)

During which I ran into problems with a Canadian volunteer over the washing of plates. I spoiled her "system" by pouring away dirty dishwater which I thought she was gonna pour into the river... and that tensed up things in the camp...

Then came Anthony, the youngest kid on the block... I tried to take him "under my wing" in a way by showing off Pioneering techniques from my Scout years... But somehow I built a wall around myself during that time. He went on to become the Bayer's Environmental Envoy for 2008, and had a stint inGermany.. whereas I grovelled here still.. LOL

Maybe through both these incidents, Prof chan has a weird aura around her when Im around.. It lingers when I met her in 2008... this time for a turtle conservation programme with SEATRU in Pulau Redang... there is this wall, I don't know... that separates me from her... It just feels awkward... It really rears up during the environmental carnival when I asked a favour from her... things in fact.. turned cold.

Another event would be with Mister Choo Chee Kuang, a seahorse conservation expert, hailing from UMT (or KUSTEM as it was once known), along with Prof Chan...

I had two experiences with him- once in 2005 and another in 2007, If I'm not mistaken...

In 2007, I saw my picture that was taken in 2005 glued to the wall along with other volunteer's photos at the research house in Gelang Patah... I was wearing a blue shirt with the words: "Environmental Philosophy" in that picture, Lol... but It was baggy and prompted a fellow volunteer... I think it was Ching Foong's GF- to comment...

"WAH! these two years must be a lot of Stress for you hor, to lose so much weight?" -.-'''

haha putting a very "yeng" photo of him here!

That aside.. during this trip out into the sea, during a transect/ quadrate sampling, I wasn't able to release one of the seahorses that was still within an untied plastic bag on a transect pole before the tide came in... and We didn't know the fate of that poor little seahorse. I have no idea till now, how I committed the blunder- cum- murder... but things stiffened thereafter, this time with Mr Choo...

My environmental Carnival was plagued with different kind of problems... many problems..

Job delegation problems, team member issues

The Dean wanting to convert the English themed carnival into a fully Malay language themed event at the very end. ( I have no issue with the language, but that was the at the very last moment when all my publicity was in English, in the website, in the magazine, in new strait times)... He let me have my way.... but in a show of defiance, the Dean protested by giving his opening speech in BM .. The crux of the matter? "we're called Universiti KEBANGSAAN Malaysia" so all things should be in Malay...

my lapse to place recycling bins during the event,

my error for not informing stalls to not use polystyrene and plastic bags...

My inexperience, overestimation of my abilities to shoulder everything- which stems from my inability to delegate work well- resulted in a less than stellar Environmental Carnival... of which I'm still sulking over....

Well, Despite honing my skills at public speaking, reading up on team-work as well as leadership, I'm afraid I failed terribly, nonetheless...

then there's also this weird guy Bernard... (oh man, it takes some guts for a weirdo to call another weird.)...arggghh... most of the relationships I built in the name of conservation are brittle, high strung ones... including the most recent, withDr Chan Kah Yein... i wonder why....

So, Back to what lead me into this post...
These events, coupled with failed lectures onto my fellow friends regarding environmentalism, failed recycling projects in my KTDI hostel... made me sorta wanna give up on this cause..

Not give up 100%, but give up putting too much effort into it for the fear of disappointment and failure...

I feel that, maybe I'm destined to pass my spirit and my cause onto my children..

to expose to them the wonder that is nature from very young and cultivate in them a sense of enjoying the simple pleasures in life... to instil in them the passion of an environmentalist, and for them to carry on the cause of conservation for me.

Damn, That's from a 23 year old guy talking like he is 60.

but I can't help but feel Jaded, and taxed from pushing for greener change.

I.... have I lost the fight?

Maybe I should take more heed from naruto's never say die spirit instead of Thinking of passing the baton on..from Jiraiya who didn't have a choice.

Sigh.

The Rant/ Rap at the start is paying homage to one of Narutonime's theme song- "Make some noise"

Ulu temburong Canopy Walk, Brunei

2010-07-25T22:51:00.011+08:00

Ulu temburong

As stated by lonely planet and other guides, It really is not advisable to enter ulu temburong independently. But hey presto! according to the lonely planet website- here

Tour companies in BSB offer a variety of packages. The standard rate is around B$245 per person for a two-day trip to the park, including an overnight stay at a Murut village on the way up the Sungai Temburong. There’s plenty of scope for group rates and other discounts, though it’s cheaper by far to get the boat to Bangar and either book at the tourist office (B$85) or hang around and try to negotiate a ride-along with an existing group.

It turns out that this is the current situation here. (from my personal observations)

there are 4 operators.

only Ulu-ulu has a resort within the park.

Those located outside the park are Freme, Sunshine, Trandie Marina

Trandie is the oldest, running the tour for 12 years

-they have an obstacle course for the adventurous individual/ teambuilding exercise

The others are quite new, but they all have additions such as the rapid rider service ($15)

The boat ride up from BSB is still $6. The Water Taxi takes around 45minutes to arrive at the new jetty in Bangar. You can find the Jetty easily. Its a 5 minute walk from the local bus terminal.. just walk towards the big body of water and turn left.. just after a row of kedai makan, you'll arrive at the jetty. There are 2 companies running the water taxi, however the price is the same. the red taxis arrive slower, I heard. but the difference isn't that much ~5-10 minutes

Once you get to Bangar,
-the new bangar jetty

the tourist office is located just across the road.. in a non-descript building. Flanking the office, is the youth centre. (you can stay @ the youth centre by informing them before hand)

Your choices at this point is-

1) enquire at the Tourist office (they have pretty weird opening hours.. on some days they open at 10 and close at 2?!!)

2)Wait for other tourists groups to arrive and see whether you can tag along. But its quite a gamble. You need to pre-book your stay in the park, and from my experience, the price is the same- ie you won't be able to get the group rate by virtue of "joining" the group.

3)You can push your luck even further, though that will inadvertently making it even harder to turn back, by hitchhiking/ finding a taxi to send you to Batang duri (around ten minute's drive)

If you're all for adventure, I think the distance is fairly walkable. you can visit one of the few remaining longhouses- AMO longhouse- along the way. I estimate walking will take 30 minutes. Once you're there, you may book your stay/ day trip with Freme/ Trandie Marina Resorts.

4) Other options to get into ulu temburong is via the Outward Bounds Brunei (below is the yet to be completed OBB building)

or via The Universiti of Brunei Darusalam, Biology Department... and book your stay at the Kuala Belalong Field Research Centre. You need to contact Dr Zora, The lecturer in Charge.

It will be possible if there is a concurrent research group going though, they won't be able to cater to an individual going there. the research centre is located 1km upriver away from the park HQ..

What type of activities to do while in there?

1) Waterfall tours- there's Mr Small waterfall (where you can swim) and Mr Big waterfall ( photography only!)

2) Canoeing

3) Suspension bridge walk..

4) BUT OF COURSE, THE CANOPY WALK!

5) Drift down river on floats, back to park HQ.

do discuss with the tour operator and see whether they can include all of that into a cheaper package.

As my main aim to be here is for the Sunrise canopy tour: here's some additional info:

Sunrise tours to the canopy is better done by the Ulu-ulu resort as they are located nearer.

you should get up at 5 am and should be able to get to the canopy within 30 minutes.

For Trandie, you need a minimum of 4 pax before they consider taking you on the sunrise tour.

Its actually quite a hassle for the Tour operators who need to pay their own workers overtime (they usually start work at 730am)

Thus if they wanna cater for guests at 4, their workers need to arrive by 3! and the forestry officials need to be notified 1 day beforehand

regarding the need to sign guests in at ungodly hours.

These inconveniences will be translated into costs which will be transferred to the consumer.

That said, It is still recommended that you take a sunrise tour should there be one.

The magnificient sight of mist covered can only be seen that way.

The Animals rise with the sun. Especially gibbons and I gather that you can hear their calls crescendo and reverberating throughout the forest when they rise and shine.

Hornbills, if they do fly in front of you,
will do it early in the morning as well!- from what I heard.

however, the climb to the canopy isn't that tiring, if you make it the first event of your day,

instead of some ppl opting for the waterfall first. "Sheesh!"

In my case, I had to tag along with another group, and they went for the Sg Apan waterfall. After that, my legs became wobbly due to the uneven trek to the waterfall had my legs contorting into different positions, straining rather untrained muscle groups.- photos along the way to the waterfall:

Unique rock patterns

The canopy walk is extremely safe, I did not experience any sway with the wind, maybe because there was no wind at 11am!!

the way up to the canopy walk

Tension cables holding the tower in placeNote one single unit of the aluminium tower is about 2m in height

multiply that unit by 20-30

do climb up the observatory instead of going up and down the aluminium towers straight without once looking down, like some did! It defeats the purpose if you make the event a who gets down the fastest sorta test

It's a looooong way down

Do you have fear of heights?
bring a pair of binoculars..

but if your cam lens has a zoom function of at least 400mm equivalent, you'd do just fine.

(as I was on the tower @11am.. there were no misty sights, no hornbills, no gibbons, just swiftlets, bees and the occasional fly..lol)

pack at least 1 litre of water, you'll need it.

You won't get to see mount kinabalu though! Despite the sign.

Now the boat ride into the National park is really something to be savoured.

you get 3 different types of experiences

Riding in the cool wind, with water splashing onto your face now and then,

riding into some turbulent waters... giving you lil pumps of adrenaline

You'll see different species of riverine plants... some stretching up to 50 metres into the air...

you'll feel that you're in a canyon sometimes, boxed in by the two riverbanks that climb straight up into the air.

The air is fresh, you'll want to remind yourself to take in a few extra breaths!

If you're really lucky, gibbon/monkey troupes would swing past and hornbills will fly over head.

Its pretty safe to carry a DSLR on this boat trip, just make sure that you point it downwards and use the person sitting in front of you on the longbaoat as a shieldm Like I did!

You do not need a stabilizer in the form of a tripod/ monopod on the canopy, so save yourself the trouble of lugging it in, @$#$@&%&*. Yeah I did just that.

wear sleeveless clothing if you're not too fond of your own bong, and lather on some sunblock unless you wanna have JAX like arms like me () ()

Get a pair of amphibious shoes like this pair of ZABA northface trainers- sans socks.

Alternatively, your tour operator will provide you with a pair of Jungle adidas- One piece Rubber shoes that have magnificent grip although not something you'll want to appear with in KLCC.

Rapid Rivers should be fun!

The river currents aren't that turbulent that they will throw you off. and the water isn't that deep at all. Still, should the conditions be less than ideal, the operators shall withdraw the event, and money back guaranteed.

Mosquito repellants aren't that high on my list- I don't think they really work anyways.

DON't forget to SWIM in the river! you must. once the equilibrium between your bodyweight and the downstream current is achieved, you'll find yourself slowly drifting underneath the canopy,looking at the underside of gigantic leaves.. an extremely soothing sight.

Fishing can only be done by locals, so don't think about it.

Here's a map for you!

stay the night at Batang duri/ Go straight it for a night at the cabins of ULU=ULU.

I heard that there are cabins in the park, but since the tourist office has since moved from the general post office, I couldn't find it, and couldn't book a night there.

Maybe you can save more by informing the tour operators that you wish to camp instead of chalets, you'll be bringing your own meals etc.
I chose to camp instead of staying in the chalets
It depends whether you've tasted local food. Trandie's fod is yum yum!!

For more photos of Brunei/ Ulu temburong, please visit My facebook album (1), (2)

I hope what I shared here has been useful, if you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me at willow.by.the.well@gmail.com

HIATUS HIATUS!

2010-05-29T12:04:00.004+08:00

I'm afraid that this will mark a very big semi-colon on my blog.

I've been gallivanting the past 3 months experiencing lotsa events, people and emotions. (and Spent RM 2200 ++ on the way)

Chalked up journeys to

Bandung, jogjakarta, surabaya Bali- Indonesia: UNPAD, UGM, UNAIR
Cameron Highlands
Ipoh
NUS/ NTU Singapore
KK-Kundasang-Sandakan: Sabah

and Brunei on July? I'm not quite sure about that though.

Gallivanting the past 3 months?
Hell, I've been wandering and day-dreaming for the past 4 years of my Medical School Life.

By sheer Luck and coincidental helpful circumstances, I've scraped through the exams again and again. There was no confidence to mention of, in entering each test, merely the attitude of : Let's get the Job done and GET OUTTA HERE!!!!

I don't think I will be able to carry on with this sort of mentality in the Final Year of Medical School. It really is time to take stock of the situation and make the best of it.

And I vow to do just that.

Hereby; I solemnly declare :(LOL!)
-I will leave Nation Building, The Environment, Photography and many other interests to someone else in the meantime.

-I will plan my time well, manage it effectively, and be productive in my countdown of 298 days of today till March 25th,2011.

-My role as a student doctor will come first, above all else.

So, Gaia, Ruru, and everyone else who happens to be listening. Wish me LUCK in this endeavour. And hope that I stay on course with adequate oomph and enthusiasm till the end of my Medical Student years!

Thank you.

p/s-Needless to say, Facebook will be placed on the backburner... but let's keep our fingers crossed on that, weeeee

Green Comic :-)

2010-05-19T19:15:00.004+08:00

The Following is a collection of comic-styled story telling which very much represents my feelings when I am pushing for environmental responsibility in my campus, and among my friends.

It is courtesy of My Malay Fren, Muslim, who goes by the pen name MYLO.

I discovered this artpiece while rummaging through my boxes of stuff, glad I found it.

As I will be leaving the greening job to others very soon, as I step into 5th Year... finding this pic, almosts puts a resounding ending to my career in fighting for green change... for more greening efforts in my campus. do refer

http://resonating-ripple.blogspot.com/2010/05/up-ante-green-campus-ppukm.html

and

http://resonating-ripple.blogspot.com/2008/12/ukms-trash-sampah-ukm.html

May I no longer be lonely in this fight :-)

Up the Ante! Green Campus, PPUKM

2010-05-05T18:06:00.008+08:00

From the Aftermath (haha, not entirely sure that this is the correct word, but who cares? ) of the Environmental Carnival, we have a few little things going on..

1) A mini Environmental Exhibition @ the Student's college, KTDI, coming 15th May.

2) A trip to FRIM, Kepong as a big thank you to the Exco's for their Hard Work..

3) Successfully getting the college cafe's cooperation to start using ecofriendly lunch boxes from Ecopak, instead of the white coffin,

polystyrene..

4) After getting an extremely favourable response from the Radiology department, PPUKM, (collected 82KGs of Recycle stuff from them!)

we have now managed to get the hospital directors approval to extend the recycling programme to the Entire hospital.

towards a Green Medical Faculty, National University of Malaysia!

Reverberations

2010-04-30T13:01:00.003+08:00

This song, fell in love with it the first time I heard it.

the 7th time hearing it,d volume of my harman/kardon speakers turned up to feel the bass, and the reverberations, I was moved to tears. And I don't know why.
I wasn't sad before listening to it and neither was I moody.. but the voice, the feel, the simple lyrics... just resonated with a piece of me... and the drops welled up, burst the banks.

在很久很久以前
你拥有我我拥有你
在很久很久以前
你离开我去远方翱翔
外面的世界很精彩
外面的世界很无奈
当你觉得外面的世界很精彩
我会在这里衷心地祝福你
每当夕阳西沉的时候
我总是在这里盼望你
天空中虽然飘着雨
我依然等待你的归期
在很久很久以前
你拥有我我拥有你
在很久很久以前
你离开我去远方翱翔
外面的世界很精彩
外面的世界很无奈
当你觉得外面的世界很无奈
我还在这里耐心地等着你
每当夕阳西沉的时候
我总是在这里盼望你
天空中虽然飘着雨
我依然等待你的归期
我依然等待你的归期

It's the current rendition by Karen Mok of a song by qi qing... but it's just so powerful.....

you can listen to it here... but if you like this song, please appreciate it for what it is and not download it, show your support by paying tribute to the artiste behind it. Her new album, 回蔚hui2 wei4,

Into the Twilight- Tiger Blogfest

2010-04-19T23:50:00.000+08:00

Written in conjuction with the
Tiger blogfest, this poem sheds some light into the plight of our magnificent Panthera tigris,

May we stop and think, ere we send them to the brink

_______________________________________

Red dust, stung my eyes
I can do nothing, but stifle my cries

Swept up, as they cleared d trail
exactly where I had my first quail

My home, This was; yesterday
In fear, I live, day after day

Chainsaw, axes and machetes
with which our future are torn to bits

camouflage, I no longer can
My stripes stand out at every bend

the foliage was all lush and green
In the distant past, when I reigned King

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A scant thin familiar scent
Ignore it,I know I can't

It's the hut, It's the hut!
Should I, push my luck?

Creeping past the window
came a pang of sorrow

I can only shrug
as I saw the rug

Because of our skin

I lost my kin

spared not, are our Homes

sadly, Nor our bones

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My tail hangs low
walking towards the afterglow

the crow flies, one more time
Its thoughts, its cries; echo mine

We share a shadow
We share a sorrow

For the question, it begs:
"Is this my last sunset?"

Any idea what animal this is?

2010-04-19T14:37:00.004+08:00

Mysterious ungulate?
I almost thought it is a statue ..

Seladang? X
Kerbau? X
Gaur? X
Banteng? X
serow? X (more of a goat lah)

got this from here

Here's
A true review of the Lok Kawi Zoo, KK, Sabah..
I think it almost represents all the zoos available in Malaysia.
SAD

The End Justifies The Means- Going up Against the Malaysian Mentality.

2010-04-18T14:43:00.005+08:00

What are the main causes of traffic jams in Malaysia?

top in the list would be
1)Heavy downpour
2)Flash Flood due to poor drainage due to shoddy workmanship due to cronyism due 2 BN running mlaysia for 53 years
3)Drivers taking too much time avoiding the numerous potholes

and certainly not least- Accidents.

Now you have to understand that in boleh-land
The accident itself doesn't cause musch inconvenience, -as tow trucks arrive at the scene much much earlier than either the fire brigade or the ambulance (some accidents are rigged by tow trunk operators- planting nails on the road etc)-

-it is the 吃饱太得空没事做 folk and the 4D punters who surround the accident scene, actively hypothesizing the reason for the accident, who's at fault, wat's the car plate number, yesterday this number opened in Magnum... while crossing their arms and waiting for things to happen.

now compare this to seeing a burst fire hydrant in a public square,

I don't understand how all those people can just turn a blind eye to it and continue about their own business despite knowing a simple 999 [you can now call 999 for police, emergency services or the fire brigade] can save a lot of water and probably prevent some slippery accidents occuring

"oh I'm too busy"
"Flow, flow lah! not my money also!"
"ahhh,dun worry la, someone else will do it"
"Water come out good wat, Malaysia so hot, cooling effect wor!"

Extrapolate This 自扫门前雪,不管别人瓦上霜 mentality to governance and our community, it will be our own downfall, someday.

So, To combat this mentality, when you need something done, you really must make people take notice by either Inconveniencing them or shame them by advertising to the world the person responsible is not doing anything.

Case in point,

In the Psychiatry clinic of Hospital UKM, Cheras (now called PPUKM)
there was a spoilt tap that runs full blast for a week...
I tried my hardest to turn it off, and hunted high and low for an inlet valve but there weren't any to be found.

I did the next best thing and complained to the PK (healthcare assistant), she told me she has reported it to the maintenance staff... so, OK...

yet Each time I went pass the toilet, the gushing can still be heard... and this went on for two whole weeks.

I made the calculation
the tap takes 4 seconds to fill up a 500ml bottle.
8 seconds to gush out a litre then.

its 24 hrs a day, 60 minutes an hour, 60 secs an hour= 86400 secs
divide that by 8
you get 10800 litres.

2weeks=14 days
10800X14 = HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND Litres of fresh, purified water going down the drain, just because someone wouldn't fix it coz his pay isn't affected, so why bother?

I just couldn't take it any longer and one day, I decide to take things into my own hands.

After a lull in our psychiatry clinic, I sneaked into the toilet...

I need to make ppl notice,

So I kicked the tap to turn it sideways, so it'll flow down the sides and inconvenience more ppl, making ppl notice. But no, the water obediently travelled along the wall and disappeared quietly down the drain.

Undaunted and desperate to do this before anyone noticed, I kicked the inlent PVC pipe below the sink so that it would leak or even better, spray outwards with a little force... and get people's attention.

But that didn't happen either after 2 hesitant kicks.
Khairy was curious on what i'm up to while squatting in one of the cubicles....

so with a "Oh! takde apa-apa...." I gave it a last kick. whee

and the inlet pipe BURST.

"Whee!!!.... errrr...OH SHIT!"

Khairy: "Kenapa ni? Apa berlaku? apa berlaku?"
"Cepat cepat kita keluar! Tandas Banjir ni!!!"

And so we came prancing out of the toilet half wet, and went back into Prof Maniam's clinic
the burst pipe vibrated loudly and violently, with waves lapping the edges of the toilet, and soon we had PKs surrounding the men's WC, shakin heads...and the KJ (head nurse) making frantic calls

And guess what? The whole system was fixed in 10 minutes.

So? Do Tell me the lesson of the story?

why do I bring this up now? because the event happened 8 months ago so no one will trace me, and secondly, because I'm gonna need to do something drastic again, because It has been "raining" outside my balcony non stop for 3 weeks.

Updates soon :-) Have a nice day... and please have more civic consciousness, pretty please?

The Pretending Lion- Of Casinos, Universities, BTN and Medicine-

2010-04-01T15:21:00.011+08:00

I recently went on a trip to Singa-Pura, as a promise to my darling little nieces made in January.

I doubt that they remember it but as parenting experts will tell, Never lie to a child or go back on your promise to them, It will have far reaching consequences, and so I kept my end of the bargain.

One thing I found funny was when I approached my friends in Singapore to get a 'visiting ticket', many other non-sporean friends popped up on the facebook post and asked :why do you want to go to Singapore?"

Um, I'm kinda puzzled by this Q and this will be my rejoinder-
Why do I need a reason to go to Singapore?

If anybody is curious, it appears that reasons to go to Singapore fall under the following categories

1- To go the recently opened Casino- Sources say that the Casino has difficuly breaking even due to the high cost of construction. It's estimated that they require a daily patronage of 3500people spending averagely $5000 to cover their initial investment, in the first year

(the cost was $6.59 billion)

the funny thing is that- not only did they not achieve the expected numbers, the universal studios grand opening with lotsa fanfare reached an anti-climax one week into it when the roller coaster ride was honourably X-ed by red and white security tapes. Authorities claimed a technical error needed inspection and tinkering before deemed safe for the public.

To keep These two major setbacks in perspective, whatever number of visitors they maybe boasting, it is important to keep in mind this is prior to the opening of the 2nd casino. hohum... not a very bright outlook, aint it?

2) To buy electronic stuff or to shop down orchard road

3) To study/ or work

4) visiting

Well, I fulfilled numbers 2, and 4 :-)

Met up with Gene in JB where he scooted me oof to his Hostel at the speed of 120km/h (luckily, heavy traffic thwarted his plan to go at 170km/h, his: "usual- everyone in JB use this" speed.
My eyes were tearing at the end of the ride.

while he packed, I got my hands on Starcraft 2! Wooo
apparently somepeople hacked into a demo version and made in widely available for download, albeit without LAN support-

I'm a stickler for copyright, but this time I fault Blizzard for titillating the fans since 2008 with the promise of a :

"summer release", "coming fall 2008", "early 2009", "late 2009" and now its HELLO! we're entering the 2nd quarter of 2010! The fans have been waiting for 12 years GDMT!

I played Protoss, was impressed with the dragoon turned immortal, the warp gets (something like the nidus canal of the Zerg, and of course the arbiter turned Mothership. So far, other than the colossus, there isn't much difference in the units, the zealots got Bruce Lee's Intercepting Fist but having played Dawn of war, their charge is mellow compared to the Kroot's death leap!

And as a disappointment to the many control freaks out there, you no longer have the dark archon, so no more controlling minds for you :-(

Popping down to Singapore, I went over to Orchard road, looking for Ali's electricals in Centrepoint. But, centrepoint has been bought over by another developer who chased all but a few of the original tenants out, and poor Ali was deemed "retired" by the concierge, oh well...

what I'm aiming to buy from Ali, is a spy pen that can record conversations or video, something useful for me to get hard evidence of the hush-hush going on at BTN camps as I will be headed there very very soon.

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/44775-btn-taught-me-the-chinese-are-the-jews-of-asia
http://www.harakahdaily.net/v2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=23431:-btn-dipenuhi-propaganda-politik-umno-unsur-perkauman-sempit&catid=1:utama&Itemid=50

I had a taste of it in Year 3, and this time I shall come prepared.

Turns out that my uncle Steven bought a similar pen for $145, which was over my budget. I was pointed in the direction of Sim Lim Square near Bugis, but on the last day I decided to purchase it over here instead due to price and warantee issues

Arrived at my aunts place much later than I intended as I dropped by a Skater's park and tried catching shots of enthusiasts in action. Bought some Marshmellows, A bottle of Coca-cola Zero and a stick of mentos in Cold Storage. What am I planning for my nieces? not hard to guess!

2nd Day, went to NUS to meet up with E-fly, toured the engineering Fac. As these photos show, they have been very prolific with research and have lots of achievements to stand for it. being holed up in HUKM, I do not know whether our own unis are as productive. I was reassured by Kim Hoo that UTM almost went into the Finals of the Fuel-Cell race but was DQ-ed because they were 2 second off the target time. :-(

This is my 2nd time to NUS, my prior visit being 5 years ago when I interviewed for the medical course. Hmmm, that time, I had 2 rounds of interviews with an Essay thrown in with the title- "your view on Aesthetic Medicine. " that was really tough, I think many would have trouble understanding what the question wanted, including me.

Oh well, I was offered Science in the end, which I did not take up. I felt lucky I was not chosen, for UKM gave me ample freedom to pursue my interests in a relaxed, slow-paced manner. It really is a blessing, and I cherish it.

Photos will be included soon,also in the pretending Lion Part 2.

Raoul In the house

2010-04-01T00:35:00.004+08:00

Well, First I have to explain that I am a very seasonal blogger:

Sometimes I blog in quick succession, with 'gap years' in between
Sometimes I write drafts and leave them in the semi-completed state,( i currently have 36 drafts!)
Sometimes I hold up on the sudden spark of idea just a bit too long and well, all the steam just evaporated
sometimes I copy and paste. and leave very little of my interpretation on the post.

oh well, everyone is guilty in at least one of the charges above... we're only human right? :-)

I've been owing multiple blog-posts.. and I promise to clear the backlog as soon as I can.. Blogposts that should have already been posted (which of coz never saw light of day, in chronological order)

-My terengganu trip in april 2009- working with Marine turtles
-My UK ENT posting in July 2009-
-My feelings leading the team in the inaugural environmental carnival 9th January 2010
-My 14 day trip to Indonesia in a R&R (research and relax) trip Feb 2010
-My jaunts to The Balloon Festival, Liu Xuan's Talk, short reunion in Singapore in March 2010
-And finally, my upcoming trips to Cameron and Kota Kinabalu in April

damn, I've got a super long backlog of entries! YIKES

I guess being a jack of all trades can be a real drag.
Having so many interests in so many areas: (check out the labels at the sidebar: There are 22 of them, covering most if not all my secret fantasies)

And having so little time
1) pursuing my interests themselves
2) studying? (bah, don't use this as an excuse, as if you ever!)

and as I told my friends- since CNY till now, I've not had an 8 hour sleep cept on 2 days! most of the time, I get by with 5-6 (despite this being holidays!)

K,K, should really get started now...

First things I'd clear out- is a post on the reason for the name Raoul.

I've never given a full answer to that question, but some would recall I gave myself the moniker around April 2009- prior to starting 4th year.

It actually represents a brand new me, stepping into 4th year of medical school.
I wanted myself to be

bolder,
braver,
eager to take up each and every challenge.

I wanted to make sure I'll be always ready to
try novel stuff,

pick up the mike and let words come forth,
not back down at every given opportunity (and where has that gotten me? LOL!)

the name meant confidence & courage to me

I wanted myself to be less bogged down by friendship matters

Wanted to strike out and continue going against the grain

Wanted to play a bigger part in all the things that I previously did. Wanted to make a difference to the society, the country and the world I live in.

Quite frankly, I don't know whether I succeeded beyond irritating a few people with my Alias
being non-"I'm born with it", Non-christian, non-English (It's spanish)

So please be the judge if you knew me prior to 2009, and let me know if you see any changes. (Any, even microscopic)

Oh and the origin of the name? It came from here.

No Joke

Oh, and Wish me great luck in clearing the backlog. Adios amigo.

You can recycle almost anything nowadays, and get rewarded for it!

2010-03-22T14:13:00.006+08:00

Interested in Changing Trash to Cash? Or Cool items, Cameras, Gift Vouchers?
Here's your chance to do it! And you can practically recycle anything under the sun nowadays! Read on to find out!

Heads up! The prizes!

Now, what treasures do you have to find from your home to be eligible for the prizes?

Simple isn't it?
If you're interested to know more about this programme, drop me a line/mail :-)

Give me your details and Email and I'll pass your particulars over to the person in charge.

In BRIEF-
How it works.
Register as a member online here http://recycleandreward.wordpress.com/register/

You'll be given a recycle sack with a calender as a free gift.

Collect recyclable items such as these - separate them in plastic bags

You can then check your Account and Point Details here
http://www.recycleandreward.my/logon

Once you get enough points, just redeem them via this channel
http://recycleandreward.wordpress.com/redeem-prize/

p.s.- Chingfong It's onli Avai in the klang Valley only at the moment :-)

Lights!, Double

2010-03-21T18:50:00.005+08:00

My Maiden attempt at interpreting lights, please advise :-)

Single Macro Photo

2010-03-17T23:22:00.003+08:00

:-) I think this is my fav macro photo to date

Taken with NIkon D50 18-55mm Kit lens

鄭丁賢•夢醒時分 - Time to Wakie

2010-03-17T22:47:00.001+08:00

夢醒時分 The moment when dream is awakend...

鄭丁賢•夢醒時分
2009-12-02 20:49b

你是否和我一樣，發覺身邊的親戚和朋友，似乎少了許多。
I wonder you feel the same as me ; all the sudden I realized friends and relatives around me seems to get less and less.

以往接近過年時，各種聚餐排得滿滿的，而今年，似乎沒聲沒息。
Those years when the New Year drew near, all sorts of gathering appointments almost completely filled the diaries, but this year seems so quiet.

即使是平常日子，電話少了，與大家見面也少了。
Even in normal time, phone calls become less and less, face to face meet up also become much less.

也許，大家各忙各的；或者，目前流行“宅生活”，儘量避免出門。
Perhaps, everybody is busy with their own things, or perhaps, nowadays people prefer to stay in.

也不盡然如此。再想一想，很多老友和親戚，已經不在了。嗟！大吉利是，他們都還好好的，只是離開了馬來西亞。
However, it is not entirely like this, thinking further, actually old friends and relatives are not around any more. God bless, they are still alive and well, they just left the country, Malaysia.

去了中國大陸開工廠；王子不做工程師，移民到澳洲開小食檔；阿風離開本地大學，去香港做講師；青蛙去了台灣，開展事業第二春；還有的到了美國、英國，唔，還有去印尼的……。
They have gone to China to set factory; ah Wang quit his engineer job and migrated to Australia to set up his little food store business, ah Fong left the local University went to Hong Kong as a lecturer. 'Frog' went to Taiwan to pursue his second career life. Others went to Americia, England, even Indonesia...

起初，以為這只是個別現象，逐漸的，旁人也有同樣發現；原來，這不是個別現象，而是社會現象；這不是少數，而是相當大的數目。
At first, I thought these are individual cases, but gradually, people around me realized the same, these are not individual cases but a general symptom of our society. they are not small numbers but the pretty big indeed.

外交部早前披露了一個數字，說明這個現象是多麼真實，多麼貼近。
Department of Foreign Affairs released the figures earlier, it confirmed the situation is real.

從去年3月到今年9月，已經有30萬大馬人移民他國；其中20萬人是今年1月到8月出走的數目。
From March 2008 thru September 2009, a total of 300,000 Malaysian migrated to other countries, among them 200,000 left between Jan - Aug 2009. (in 8 months)

累積下來，已經有超過200萬大馬人移民，接近今天印尼外勞在大馬的人口。
Cummulatively, 2 million Malaysians migrated, this figure is close to the number of Indonesian workers in Malaysia today.

不同的是，移居他國的大馬人，多是專業人士、中產階級。
The difference are, those migrated are mostly professional and middle class people.

他們有很多出走的理由，追求事業發展，為了孩子前途，尋找個人更大空間……，概括一句：對馬來西亞失望。
They have many reasons to leave: pursue career development, for the future of their children, in search of better life and environment... In one sentence, they lost hope of Malaysia.

50年前，大家說，馬來西亞真好，好過香港，甚至日本。
50 years ago people said: Malaysia is very good, better than Hong Kong and even Japan.

30年前，大家說，馬來西亞還不錯，比得上韓國、台灣（不提香港和日本了）。
30 years ago people said: Malaysia is not bad, comparable to S. Korea and Taiwan. (No mention of Hong Kong and Japan any more).

20年前，大家說，馬來西亞還可以，至少超越中國、泰國（不能和台、韓比了）。
20 years ago people said: Malaysia can do lah, at least better than China and Thailand (Cannot compare with Taiwan and Korea lah)

10年前，大家說，馬來西亞再差，還不至於像越南、印尼（中國已是不同級別）。
10 years ago people said: No matter how bad Malaysia is, cannot be worse than Vietnam and Indonesia ok-lah. (China is already in a different category).

今日，越南和印尼的經濟成長率遙遙領先大馬，社會活力和知識發展也勝過一籌；距離愈來愈近了。
Today, the economic growth rate of Vietnam and Indonesia already far exceeded Malaysia, Social activity and intellectual development of the country is also better, the gap between us and them is closing up.

怕甚麼，還有菲律賓和柬埔寨、緬甸。
Why worry? there are still Philipines, Cambodia and Myanmar behind us.

但是，一位經濟學家最近到菲律賓考察之後，認為再過20年，大馬可以取代菲律賓，出口馬籍女傭到全世界了。
However, according to an economist who recently surveyed Phillipines, he think in 20 years' time, Malaysia can replace Phillipines to become the World exporter of Malaysian maids.

半個世紀以來，馬來西亞是在大宅院裡，用封建方式，分配祖宗家業，消耗社會資源，浪費和逼走人才；不談競爭力，忽略生產力，討厭績效制。
Over half a century, Malaysians live in the big old imperial housing complex, closed up and survive on properties left behind by the ancestor; continued to consume up social resources, wasteful, and drove away talents; they never talk about competitiveness, totally neglected productivity, and hated meritocracy.

亞洲金融風暴來襲時，大馬把門關起來，以為避過一劫，有人還自我陶醉，自以為是天才策略。
When Asia economic storm hit in 1997, Malaysia closed their doors, thinking we beautifully avoided a disaster, they even think of themselves as genius, being able to handle the situation so well.

然而，其它國家面對風暴，走出風暴，進行體質改革，跨步向前，登上另一個水平；大馬卻還在原地踏步。
However, just look at other countries in our neighbourhood ; they stood up, faced the storm, and walked out of the storm. They overhauled their system, improved the processes and marched forward ; they moved up to a new level. And Malaysia, still walking on the spot . . !

馬來西亞，該醒一醒了。
Dear Malaysia, it's time to wake up !
We are very very late now !

Push for Change, Vote for Change, Make some Noise, It's your choice!
http://sayaanakbangsamalaysia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=284:kita-semua-pendatang-sabm-roadshow-in-melaka&catid=38:sabm&Itemid=58#CommentForm

For original article, please see link below:
http://opinions.sinchew-i.com/node/12566

SABM Youth Movement- Save our Beloved Malaysia

2010-03-17T22:37:00.002+08:00

Dear fellow Malaysian,

Are you happy with the state of our country today? Is our country and
her people truly living up to their potential? What do you think of
Malaysian society today? Should “race” be a major factor in how
Malaysian citizens relate to each other? What unites Malaysians? What
divides Malaysians? Do you think Malaysia needs to change? Why or why
not? What are your dreams/aspirations for yourself? Your country?

Do you love Malaysia?

These are questions that are rarely asked of our country's youths. But
we believe that all of them have a burning answer deep within their
hearts. They may not feel at liberty to share it. Or they may feel
like even if they did, who would listen? So many of these hushed
voices go unheard. It's the greatest loss to our nation...

Well, not anymore.

We believe that the youth of our nation have outstanding opinions
about the contentious issues facing Malaysia today. We want our
nation's youths to know that they are NOT forgotten, forsaken or
frivolous. Because it is their passion that will revive the hope in
our nation to once again rise up and be a shining example to the world
for our peace and prosperity. And this will happen when the youth of
our country choose to stand up and speak out.

That's where BANGKIT comes in.

BANGKIT is a nationwide search for songs written by youths, for youths
and representing the aspirations of the youths in our country. We
believe that they deserve...no, they NEED to be heard. And we're going
to provide the platform for them in the language that speaks to youths
- music!

To prove the point that Malaysians DO care about their country, we are
putting this entire project together with NO MONEY AT ALL!

No money for salaries or allowances
No money spent on promotions/marketing.
No money spent on design.
No money spent on recording.
No money to hire talents.
No money spent on websites.
No money prizes
No money for prizes.
Tak ada, mei you, eelek, zip nada!

Impossible? Maybe...unless you and I decide to believe that it is NOT
IMPOSSIBLE. We can both step out in faith that this project WILL
succeed because there will be more than enough people stepping up to
contribute their time, talents, facilities and resources FOR FREE,
with no other motivation than their passion, creativity and love for
country!

Have we got your attention? If you are inspired and want to join us,
here are the details of BANGKIT:

MECHANISM
- A Bangkit blog will be set up for this event
- Teasers will be spread throughout the internet (March 15 – 31)
- Selections begin, demo cuts of compositions to be submitted in mp3
format (April 1 – May 15)
- Songs will be featured on the Bangkit blog for youths to vote on
their favourites (April 1 – May 31)
- Professional judges will select 10 songs from the 20 most popular
voted songs and results announced (June 7)
- A professionally recorded CD of the songs will be released within 3
months of final selection (Target to be launched in September)
- A concert featuring local artistes will be held to showcase the
selected songs (to be held either in November or December, in
conjunction with SABM's voter registration carnival)
- No prizes will be offered. Just recognition of participants' talents
and the chance for their song to be recorded.

PUBLICITY
- Primarily viral marketing through the internet (facebook, youtube,
twitter, blogs, websites, etc)
- Flyers and posters to be distributed to colleges nationwide
- Exposure through the Mass Media
- Email, SMS & MMS

WHAT YOU CAN DO
- Attach the ‘Bangkit’ posters/banners/videos to your blog or website
and make sure to link it to our blog. We will be releasing a series so
that it keeps fresh and exciting
- Tell everyone you know about this, through word-of-mouth, blogs,
facebook, twitter, email, SMS, MMS, etc. We need everyone in Malaysia
to know.
- Keep updated at our Bangkit blog or the SABM website.
- Put us in touch with people who are willing to contribute for free.

Please support us in our effort to bring the voices of our youth to
the nation and the world!

P.S. As this is still the pre-launch stage, please don't reveal too
much about BANGKIT yet. If you feel a need to explain a bit more about
Bangkit, just say something like something big is brewing in Malaysian
cyberspace and everyone under-30 should watch out for the announcement
on April 1st. We will be releasing more promos and information that
you can post as the official launch date (April 1) approaches.

If you need more information, please email: jombangkit@gmail.com.

For more info please check out our blog at http://jombangkit.org/

And please do feel free to pass this message to as many people as you
know.

Let's rock Malaysian together!

Regards,
Lai Chee Seng
Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia - Youth Outreach Project Team Coordinator

Race- Country or Me?

2010-01-29T23:01:00.001+08:00

a malaysian Says:

January 29, 2010 at 8:26 pm HERE

If we want to criticise the government for its race based policies, it is only fair we also criticise our own race based mentality. To point the finger only one way is sheer hypocrisy. We have ALL contributed to the rot in some way – with our way of thinking, our actions, our words, our inactions, our apathy. None of us can claim to be innocent.

How many of us see ourselves as Malaysians first followed by our ethnicity? I think we all know the answer is not many. How many of us hold on to age old stereotypes i.e. Malays are lazy & stupid, Indians are untrustworthy & violent, Chinese are greedy & selfish? I think we all know the answer is quite a lot. How many of us then are willing to (to quote the late Michael Jackson) ’start with the man in the mirror and ask him to change his ways’?

Just as the government is guilty of playing us against each other, we are also guilty of playing ourselves up against each other. If Malaysia is to have any chance of a better future, we MUST change our mindsets. The old way of ‘every race for itself’ is NOT going to work. We need to see ourselves and each other as MALAYSIANS first and everything else a distant second. Then and only then will the wheels of change begin to turn. Until then we will remain stuck in the pit of quicksand that is the past, sinking lower with each passing minute.

There is still some hope left but my fellow Malaysians (yes, MALAYSIANS not Indians, Chinese, Malays or dan lain-lain), voting is just the tip of the iceberg. In the same way we’re all gung ho about getting people to vote, we need to get them (ourselves included) to think or rather re – think. The real change starts much sooner. In fact it starts right now.

“Be the change you want to see” – Gandhi

Setuju! Setuju!

Reply

Don't come home to Malaysia?

2010-01-27T00:59:00.003+08:00

Don't Come home, Son is the titled of a much read post in Malaysian Insider...

Here's a short excerpt from the page

" To Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, this is what I have to say in response to your statement about emigration by ingrates.

Sometime in 1980, when I was a final-year student in London, I had a very short telephone conversation with my father. In those days, there were no call cards, skype or the like and international phone calls were expensive. He had a very simple message – “Don’t come home, son.” "

And after reading through the many comments... here I include my own.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This story has been oft told- and the reality is that many are facing this dilemma.

I notice that many comments came from the middle-aged, or the elderly, most of those whom have children.

I am currently 22, A Malaysian first, chinese second... and I regret to say that my parents also have that to tell me: Go Australia, Go Singapore, go somewhere where there's equality and a good way of life.

Am I being unfilial by not obeying that command?

I hope I am not- because I am filial to this motherland of mine.

Yes the road is getting bumpier, the scenery turning into shades of grey... but I believe 柳暗花明又一村, that is, there is light at the end of the tunnel.. and but hopefully that isn't the headlights of the oncoming train.

Jokes aside. This is my country. I am born here. I love this country because of its people, the multitude of colours, personalities and faces, the lahs, mahs, aiyoyos, the "teh-tarik KAU kurang gula mau buih manyak" orders... The Azan that we hear, the bells that ring, the smell of fireworks, the red pows and green pows..., recently Chong Wei’s smile after he won and how he kissed the Jalur Gemilang…. in this potpourri... the amalgam of culture and tradition--it is unique- found nowhere else on earth.

Sadly, things are getting ugly. Its getting from bad to worse... It feels like its getting nowhere. We want to throw in the towel, to abandon ship, to fight another day, or just let someone else take the fight.
But, do hear what I have to say

I was on a stint for a medical posting in UK for 3 weeks.

I admire the country for its cleanliness, its transport system that is always on time, its politicians who are forced to quit their post when they are suspected of corruption. (YES! being suspected is already a way-out ticket.) I look up to their waste management system, their council administration, their customer service.

I love how they manage their ecosystems, how they maintain their tourist spots, how their road signs come a few times before the fork of the road at 100m, 50m ( so unlike KL where some signs show up past the fork!), their cars come dirt cheap- (a 2nd VW beetle in mint condition goes for 14000 pounds- ard RM80000; the cheapest 2nd hand car I noticed was a Ford selling for 1400 pouns- around RM8000!)

But despite all that.. I wouldn't want to live there. It's not my home. My heart still lies with this country.

Many Malaysians living overseas have relatives sending over sambal-belacan, dumplings, otak-otak, and the whole assortment of spices, they yearn for the sights and sounds from home, they yearn for the -lahs at the ends of a sentence, they yearn for the connections to their identity... but all this yearning takes a backseat when the reality of life looms large, I know. They try to find a better life overseas…

But, note that where I've been its not that rosy, not that perfect.

Nottingham experienced a bar-room brawl culminating in a shoot-out a week before I arrived. The 2nd hand bike I bought was stolen just 3 hours after I oiled the chains. The hostel I was provided with was broken in and a laptop stolen. Illegal immigrants make their presence felt now and again, almost all stores close at 5pm, the weather is extremely depressing during winter, (it was already moodiness inducing in autumn), the cost of accomodation is high despite the overall cost of living is manageable.

I'm not sure whether my message remains coherent- but I really do feel that hujan batu di Malaysia is better than hujan emas di UK, AUS atau pulau Singa. Because I grew up here. Because It's where I belong.

Should I migrate somewhere,I can’t help but feel that there will always be the nagging feeling that I missed out. The feeling that I stopped guiding my daughter through university and abandoned her in Primary 6…. The nagging thought that I gave up too early…. The sensation of emptiness in a foreign land where you know you don’t really belong, you want to make a pilgrimage home just to see how your hometown has changed

I won’t give up, not just yet. I will fight for change. I will exercise my vote. I will spread the word that we are taking this country back. For those of you who thinks that Malaysia is a lost cause- you should have gone to the Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia Roadshow- there you will be inspired. You may catch a glimpse of it here http://resonating-ripple.blogspot.com

Many people have given up the good fight without even trying. They lament and complain, but they did not strive to better the condition , they didn’t heed the clarion call for change, they didn’t voice their support for the cause, they didn’t sign petitions, they didn’t rally to the peaceful marches… they just threw in the towel before they broke a sweat.

Now would it hurt if we just try? Try to make our voices heard? Try to strive a little before calling it quits? Try to push for change instead of sitting arms crossed and waiting for things to happen?

I end my comment with these observations:

The lawyers think that doctors get easy money- pop-pop the stethoscope and there's RM50-
The Doctors think that the accountants have less risks and the money comes easy,
The accountant thinks that the engineers job is more engaging and interesting
The engineer thinks that lawyers earn easy money- just sign a document and there's RM50

Indonesians come to Malaysia,
Malaysians migrate to Singapore,
Singaporeans go to Australia,
Australians go to Europe,
Europeans come to Malaysia for Malaysia my second home. (oh ok, not that true but you get the drift)

the moral of the story- be content with what you have and you are always happier that way.

I may be young, you may think my views are idealistic, too far fetched, unattainable… but I beg thee, just try.

Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia roadshow- Taking back our country

2010-01-24T17:04:00.011+08:00

Yesterday, on the 23rd of January 2010, the Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia Roadshow came to KL, at the KL Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.

I came, I saw, I went back Inspired...

and here is a summary of the event, to be completed tomorrow (today is 24th)and the pictures will be loaded in around the 26 when I have access to my own computer.

It has since been completed. Photos Tomorrow

PART 1

!!! There is an alternative to the “official warped version of our Nation’s Independence History”- Sepuloh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka- by Fahmi Reza!

Although I arrived at the screening 20 minutes late, here are my impressions

The message:

1) PUTERA-AMCJA fought for our independence as hard if not harder than our textbook version of UMNO-MCA-MIC coalition (UMMC)

They were more Left-Wing and thus The British picked the UMMC to lead instead.

There was an alternative Constitution for Malaysia and the Malaya’s people rejected the Reid Commission’s version through a nationwide “hartal”. A voluntary stop work protest involving the whole of peninsular Malaya. The Alternative Constitution was ignored by the British. It was better as it was written by the populace, much fairer, and just.

The Left-wing statesmen were silenced when their influence unsettled our colonialists. The silencing was done through the veil that was named “The communist Emergency” where 28000++ people were arrested and dibuang negeri etc for
 Being a communist
 Colluding with communists
 Involved in suspicious activities, communist sympathizers

In which over 10000 of those were Malays. The communist emergency was an excuse to remove these nationalists who were doing too good a job at awaking our sleeping populace about their rights and the colonialist’s wrongs.

2) The Mainstream Media- exactly like what we have today, have bootlicking policies and thus painted a bad picture of PUTERA-AMCJA. The Racist agenda have been subliminally planted by these ppl who claimed
 Chinese and Indian immigrants are only here for the ride- to grab what they can and send everything back home to China and India. NONE of them plan to stay so why plan our country’s constitution with them in mind
 That these immigrants, being here, stripped the “hujan emas di tanah Melayu” from reaching the Tempayans of the Malays… siphoned it away…
 The sowed mistrust, further consolidating the British’ ‘Divide and Rule’ policy. ( this policy ensures the 3 races will never unite, and without unity, the British will continue to rule with impunity)
 ( The British’s pre-requisite to allow independence was: Only if there was unity of the races—ahhhh, how ironic eh?)

3) Dato Onn’s attempt to Change UMNO (United Malays National Organisation) to United Malayans National Organisation which will enable non-Malays to enter.. did not receive support from the members, and he stepped down. (this was in our history texts, but was not significant when not interpreted in context)

These are some of the messages---

But the take home message: Learn about the True History of our Nation. Not the glossed over –snipped edges one

Comments:

Fahmi Reza is a first time director and his efforts must be commended. The Movie was interesting and the subtitles helped a lot. But the length and myriad of topics covered are not necessarily in chronological order and tends to confuse me. Maybe an edited short 5 minute version may pique the interest of the masses to see the full length version. 

PART 2

Human Beings, All born free and Equal

This part of presented by Jahaberdeen Mohd Yunoos and pastor Sivin Kit. (the name intrigues me to no-end and in fact I can’t get the name out of my head! What-the…)

Quotations from the Quran dominated Mr Jaha's presentation and while the content was clear, It did bore me-
I think part of it had to do with my discomfort and disagreement with Islam’s and Christianity’s holy scriptures that state that
- Their creator created earth and all beings on it for Mankind’s use- and we are entitled to use whatever we set our eyes upon, all the natural resources, all the animals are for our consumption. The Creator offered Animals to lead. But they declined, so mankind stepped forward and took charge instead.

Being an Agnostic, I disagree.
First, the concept that earth was ‘created’ is moot. Second, that we are stewards of mother earth and we have responsibility to care for it is not highlighted, instead, we are told to use all that we see.

Where lies prudence? Consideration for our progeny? Sustainability?
The environmentalist in me is considerably irked whenever I hear such statements
“ all flora and fauna are created for men’s use. “

ditto when The Selangor Department of Environment- Puan Che Asmah Ibrahim, gave her Keynote address during the See Green, See Life Environmental Carnival

Therefore I made my exit 10 minutes into the presentation to view the stands outside, only to comeback midway into Sivin Kit’s Presentation. His slide presentation was unique and technologically appealing, (note to self- must learn what programme was he using) but regrettably, I phased out and didn’t quite grasp the message.

Edit 27/1/10 His slides can be found here
After having a full look at his presentation, I find his slides very meaningful and it makes me regret not being there throughout. Thus I have removed my comments from previously

Comments

PART 3

Art Harun: Dispelling myths of the constitution (if does have another title, I think)

First we are enlightened on the principles of a constitution. (written here with my layman understanding of it)

 A constitution or Perlembagaan is a document of a country where all laws and ordinance are enacted with the constitution as a blueprint, as a template… A suitable analogy for the scientifically inclined is it is just as how proteins are encoded based on genes imprinted in our DNA

 Such a document is not static. It is not set in stone. It is subject to revision, to amendments, to fortifications, to repeals- by parliamental debate and voting. So far around 600 different alterations have been made to our constitution. It is intended to be revised, intended to be so by Lord Reid, by the British, by our Late Tunku

With that In mind, lets come to what Articulations Harun has to bring to the fore

A few Articles of the constitution are laid bare here

1) Article 153 – Special rights of the Malays and the Indigenous people
Where the rights are actually special positions.. to be looked after by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who merely acts on the advice of the Prime Minister. So when people claim debating the constitution (as in the Perak Constitutional crisis) is an ACT of TREASON or menderhaka, it is incorrect.

4 points of Article 153 is with regards to
 the giving of scholarships
 the placement in civil service
 the entrance to institutions of learning
 the giving of contracts and tenders

one key point to note here that the entrance to institutions of learning only applies to academic placements after MCE. That is, after SPM. So the MRSM system for Secondary school education where only a quota of 10% are given to Non-bumis entrance is contravening the constitution. So, should that be revised?

By questioning the suitability of the articles, we promote debate on whether such an article is still relevant in this day and date.. because the constitution was set up more than half a century ago. And as said before, It is intended to be revised. In fact, the British had in mind to repeal Article 153 fifteen years post independence, where they believed our Malay citizens have reached equal footing with the rest of Malaysians. That is by 1971 or 72, this article should have undergone revision and removed should it be appropriate.

Harun is of the opinion that now, almost 40 years after the intended date of revision, where our Malays have reached economic superiority…… why should the so called tuan Tanah still require protection, why are they thought to require crutches?

2) Article 11 (if not mistaken) Islam as the official Religion of Malaysia
Here, Harun shows that in no way should article 11 be interpreted to mean that Malaysia is not a secular state.

Islam is the official religion Malaysia means: It is the official religion for official ceremonies, for Islamic prayers to start begin during fuctions, for Islamic holidays to be national holidays, and many more interpretations, but all within this understanding.

No where does it say that Malaysia is a Religion based Country with Islamic Laws overseeing Common Law and all its peoples must profess one religion. That would be contravening article 12 (once again if not mistaken) that grants the right of religion to every citizen of Malaysia.

Many other people would be able to explain this better than I can but this is the gist of it.

The confusion arised because our dear Dr M told the Parlimentarians that Malaysia is an Islamic state and many jumped the gun to give fantastic spin to its interpretation.

Previously (and some say they still do) PAS was adamant on making Malaysia an Islamic Nation. As per the constitution it is not possible, but that doesn’t stop people from harping over it.

Comments:
(I’ll be taking off at a tangent here, skip this part if you want to stay on course )

I don’t really see what benefits one can gain, Islamic state or not. Civilian laws are quite adequate to police our peace. Syariah law may put some people off, but I for one, and I speak for myself only, favour Hudud laws. Chop the thief’s hand off and he is very unlikely to steal for the rest of his life.

Yes, yes you may argue its uncivilised, barbaric and such. But laws from western nations are not that perfect. Civilised laws did nothing to prevent school shootings to occur. On the other hand, School Canings and other forms of capital punishment, which our parents were brought up with, served the nation well.

Too many young children of today are much too sheltered and protected in bubble wraps that they grow up indifferent, unapologetic, demanding, materialistic and individualistic, if you ask me

note: I do have double standards. I don’t think Karthika deserve to be whipped. But I really hope snatch thieves can have some of their appendages separated from them. It may not be the answer to the root cause of the issue, but it certainly works as a deterrent.

INTERLUDES

Tea break: Observations
1) The food was tasty! I like the corn pudding very much!
2) A big Thank you to the organizers for choosing a caterer that avoids the use
of polystyrene. The white coffins are in my sights far too often.

3) The crowd didn’t mingle that much- hmmm, make that I didn’t mingle that much-
- I felt out of depth, somewhat shy because everyone seemed to know at least someone else in the crowd, me being an exception. There’s no need to be shy, I know- I’m not that shy actually but somehow I didn’t know how to start a conversation with this crowd. Felt I was too young and knew too little.

Musicians: 5 minute breaks serve to break the monotony; where a busker (street musician) and one of the Voter registrars (Danny) gave a political pop entertainment!

1) the musicians were obscured becaused they didn’t take centre stage. Literally, they were given a spot just at the left side of the hall where they were not very conspicuous.

2) the PA system experienced technical faults on both occasions… the audience were not captured in the first few crucial minutes so many left the hall during this interlude

3)The Drums Session:

I don’t know the name of the coordinator, but I met him once during a Jom Tangani Stress Carnival At Sekolah Menengah Taman Permaisuri passing percussion instruments into young hands and coordinating a fruitful musical session. He is back here today, apt at ‘making noise’ and making that racket tuneful!

This session was fun, somewhat too loud if you’re in the front ten rows, can’t see the performers that well if you’re beyond ten but it made at least 3 quarters of the audience stamp their feet or clap their hands! And just as the organizers intended it to be- it is a wake up session for the attendees! My ears rang for 10 minutes into the next presentation though hehe.

PART 4
Haris Ibrahim from the People’s Parliament

Haris Managed to drive the message home strongly, straight to the heart. I felt my heart sink, and saw an elderly gentleman take off his glasses and ran his arm beneath his brow…

Haris’ Title was Are we a nation in distress?
I say: "The Hell we are."

- We are the world’s laughing stock for so many reasons!
We’re at war over a single word.
We are caning a woman,
We lost two jet engines,
We’re buying decade old train carriages for astronomical prices,
We are now on the way to the international courts for debt on the loan of THE EYE ON MALAYSIA,
We could not accept Chin Peng, but open arms wide and gave almost state burial for the terrorist, Nordin bin Md Top
We’ve slipped off the ladder of transparency international, our ex-PM claims “a few” corrupt politicians have been given the boot by the current PM, but wouldn’t say who are the rest?

- Mat rempits are given offers to journey to the north pole and rehabilitated while our indigenous people are being trampled
- Our education system is going nowhere. We’re still debating on the medium of instruction, flippity-flappity-flap. Our graduates have no motivation nor direction in life.

- Religious harmony wise, after the cephalic bovine incident, we are now dealing with arsons, some idiots are stoking the fire by burning THEIR own place of worship

- The poor are poorer, the rich aren’t that well off, the very rich are moving their businesses overseas.. they claim its just too volatile here

- Our ministers claim that we have eradicated poverty. We have a poverty percentage of 3% country wide. But that’s based on the cut off point of RM760/mth. Jayanath recommended any family of 5 who survives on that paltry sum to be the advisor of our Economic Planning Unit.

Are WE not a nation in distress?

DID WE LET IT HAPPEN?
Haris drove the message that the state of the nation, all its failures, all its institutions’ failures (the police, the executive, the judiciary, the Elections commission, the civil service) are to be borne by us, its citizens.

When A. Kugan Died- with 1805 others in a span of 7 years (averaging at 23 deaths per month under police custody) we pointed fingers at the men in blue.

When Teoh Beng Hock Died we pointed our fingers at MACC

When PKFZ happened we point our fingers at the Public Accounts Committee, and so many others

When corruption occurs we point our fingers at the police, at the bureaucratic red tape, at the greedy officials…

We sought to distance ourselves from these events, saying:
“It’s their fault, not ours.”
“Those greedy pigs, only know how to fill their pockets”
“those ma-ta only want duit kopi and never catch criminals”

But the failure of the system is our failure. Why is it our failure?

It’s our failure to push for change
It’s our failure for not ensuring check and balance occurred
It’s our failure for giving duit kopi when we are arrested, instead of letting the law take its course.
It’s our failure to voice our dissatisfaction, to show that we, the people will take no more shit.

We gave up the chance to show that we the citizens care, we take notice and we will take the matter into our votes; when we did not join the Bersih rally, the Bar council March, The anti-ISA candlelight vigil…

If 200 000 gathered in a peaceful rally- (its enshrined in the constitution as a freedom of expression, provided it is done peacefully)
The authorities would certainly get the message that people are angry, that they can no longer act aloof as though nothing happened, that we are watching, that we will kick them out should they continue.

Here’s my imagination of a typical rally

People come in the hundreds, the FRU and police come with their batons and tear gas,
The people run, or they stand, but in the end they disperse, a few get arrested, maybe one gets charged in court. Should it be done on a weekday, the authorities will say don’t disrupt the economy, people will complain about traffic jams that occurred, Economic losses will exaggerated out of proportion and the PM will say” don’t la go rally, stay at home la and be good citizen”. The Mainstream media downplays the protest of 500 people into “50 ignorant troublemakers”

Now imagine a Ideal Rally.

On a Weekend, with a permit if possible, with a suitably titled agenda
“ We want ISA abolished”, for example

-People gather in the number of two hundred thousand, 200,000.
-(It’s not impossible- KL has the population of 1-2 million)
-All the police and FRUs will be outnumbered, in fact if the whole crowd stamped
their feet at once KL will experience a Richter 3.0 earthquake,
-The Lockups of the whole KL will not be able to fit 1% of the crowd
-The Magistrates will have a headache trying to charge 100 people.
-The Blogs and facebook and the internet will be a flurry of activity and the
mainstream media will be forced to report the truth as the evidence is too much to be
silenced.

In the end, the police and FRU stand and watch, the protesters get their message across. The politicians will be afraid, very afraid that the protestors will translate this action into votes come the next election-----

AND THEY WILL MAKE NECESSARY AMENDMENTS TO THE LAW AND CONSTITUTION.

Should you think this is impossible, Think about the Everyone Connects event at Jalan Bukit Bintang just 2 months ago featuring the hit song ‘Through my Window’, by the group bunkface. Multiply the turnout by a couple of times, and we have a perfect rally.

PART 5: THIS IS MY HOME. I CARE. I WANT TO MAKE IT BETTER
JAYANANTH APPUDURAI

Mr Jaya brought the audience down memory lane into nostalgic café, he told us why he loves this country, and invites everyone to think of their children.

The take home message: “CAN/ DO YOU WANT TO TELL THE CHILDREN OF THE NATION THAT MALAYSIA IS A LOST CAUSE?

Part 6
Question and Answer

The Q&A session to me was very fruitful, and it lasted around an hour, if not for the time, 7.45pm, we could have continued on…. But we overshot the time by a whole hour, skipping the film screening of Gadoh

Everyone felt the roadshow was a success, but everyone chipped in to make it better

A question from the audience took everyone by surprise: “how did you all fund this?”
I guess that part escaped most of our minds …

the answer to that was, funds are only raised through donations and the sales of SABM merchandise- such as the T-shirts and badges.

So someone suggested “let’s get a donation box going!” and most chipped in generously.

Food for thought:
It seemed very appropriate when a member of the audience suggested it, but I’m not quite sure it would have been very nice if the organizers started passing the donation box around from the outset.

Some Questions and Suggestions exchanged

1) The medium of the roadshow should be in Bahasa or English? According to Mr Jaya, the organizers tried using Bahasa in Penang, and it did not work out too well.

I think a healthy mix of both would be fine. Since all screenings are subtitled, they are not a problem. Also, since the whole event is videotaped, SABM can store it in their website archive for people to download, and subtitled inserted where appropriate. That way, the topics discussed in coming roadshows can by dynamic and continuously evolving, since the public can refer to previous topics online, or through CDs.

alternatively, when the public registers for the roadshow, probably the organizers can ask them to include the preferred language medium- and they can adjust the presentation accordingly, at different localities.

2) The time- someone felt the whole roadshow was too long. It should be more concise, and to the point.

I THINK- each topic attracts different people - the length may be maintained, but have a thorough overview of each topic/ event of presentation and let the audience decide which particular event attracts them, and they can come for that.

That said, The Q&A session should be right after each presentation, with a review at the end of the day. Lumping it all at the end of the roadshow risks the presenter being not around, or the audience that sat for that event has already left.

Probably SABM can have a FAQ section on understanding MALAYSIA on their website too.

Having the recordings also solve part of the problem.

3) Another interesting question was: Can the Voter’s vote be tracked by the SPR?
The answer – IT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. Haris himself found a polling officer scribbling something down when he was registering to vote, he confronted him and the guy tried to downplay it. Haris remained firm and said- “if its nothing, erase it now “

I THINK – many Aunties and Uncles fear for their safety, and Ricebowls. They are not assured that their votes are not tracked, and they do not know the consequence should it occur. I guess, “it should not happen” is not a good enough answer for many, as their concerns lie with “what if it does”. I don’t know the answer- and I’ll let the organizers answer this.

4) It appears this roadshow only appeals to the educated professionals, how can the roadshow appeal to kampong-folk, and would they be interested?

The panellists’ answer
- kampong folk may be more enlightened and brave compared to urban folk, and
Haris cited a very humorous example!
- They are going for roadshows all over the country, the next one- February 6 in Ipoh
- the public can help by urging their relatives, friends and colleagues to attend the
roadshows slated to happen in other parts of the country.
- if there is a kenduri/ wedding somewhere in Sekinchan/ Sungai Petani- try to gather round the community over there and do ask the organizers to make an appearance.. they will definitely try to make it there
- The audience can pass what they learned from the roadshow to their friends, and the campaign to “balik kampong bawa berita” must go on to enlighten the masses who have been brainwashed by the mainstream media. SABM and the bloggers will be coming up with printable articles that the public can bring home during festive seasons- this coming CNY is a good opportunity. Let the atuks and neneks read the articles from the MSM and the alternative source and make their own comparison.

I THINK- THIS IS GREAT! I have nothing to add :-)

5) “How to appeal to the masses.” “All the talk is great- but not all can relate the problem to their rice bowl and thus not many are keen to act”. -Others don’t know how to act.

The proposed solution offered by members of the floor - Make the presentation more related to the public’s everyday life- make the examples heartfelt, “it could happen to you”, relatable

For SABM to list down the 10 things for people to do- easy simple things that can help spread the message.

I THINK-
- 10 tahun sebelum merdeka did a good job of comparing the effect of the People’s Constitution in comparison with our current Constitution
- Interfaith Dialogues to follow up on the discussion on religion
- Art Harun’s discourse of the Constitution’s articles- how does it relate to our current issues.. why should we be concerned, what are SABM’s following up action- proposing an amendment to the constitution? This is a good time to garner support
- Haris Ibrahim told us that by supporting the rallies we are making a difference. Many Chinese (I feel ashamed for my brethren) are not willing to put their necks out on the chopping board, they try to avoid trouble… how to change this mentality? Is there any other way for the public to show their support for a cause… something more concrete than a petition but less ‘risky’ than a demonstration?
- Mr Jayanath- try to beef up the presentation so that many Malaysians feel the warmth of the country, that patriotism isn’t that demanding, that we can make things happen—give examples of things that we MADE HAPPEN, so that people are inspired. Once again- the Chinese have the tendency to abandon ship when there’s any signs of failure… utterly ashamed of this: How do I convince them that we are not a lost cause?
- Q&A: before the start of the Q&A: the Mc can probably recap the questions from previous roadshows, so the audience would be aware of overlap.

6) This will be my section on the whole event, probably some repeats what I have mentioned above, briefly

The Good:
 The event was a success! My estimated audience turnout was aroud 300 people
 The panellists were good! The content was good! We learnt a lot

The Bad
 The hall arena was air-conditioned, but just behind it, some members of the audience and some of the organizers smoked… that wasn’t very nice. My dad was wondering whether I have a newfound habit when he caught a whiff

How to make it better:
- More details on the content of the speakers, to interest the public
- Topics should have clear goals and objectives,
- Q&A should be after each event, with a concluding Q&A session at the end
- Based on this Q&A- an FAQ section can be posted on the SABM website, thus avoiding repeats
- The screen at the Chinese assembly hall was small, but most likely it couldn’t be helped.
- Depending on the location and venue- ushers may be needed to fill up the blank space
- The anti-ISA booth and voter registration booth was in a cramped position, also I don’t think the organizers had a choice
- Attendees really shouldn’t smoke in a non-smoking area
- To encourage people to vote- cite concrete examples on how important each individual vote is. Have simple calculations of “what could have been” in so many states? Let the voters do the math and know what influence and power they could have. I’m only one person- why should I matter is a mentality that must be tackled with in so many different issues- Global Warming, Recycling, Voting, Rukun Tetangga, Gotong-royong… Let everyone come up with suggestions on how to address this.

Finally I want to congratulate the organizers for doing such a great job!!
Thank you guys for giving your time, money and energy for such a noble cause.
It will not be thankless, and we will help see the effort through~
Because of you, MALAYSIA IS NOT A LOST CAUSE.

P.s- Let us all help to promote the subsequent roadshows!

Great Roadshow- Forum not to be Missed!

2010-01-19T23:27:00.004+08:00

Think that our country is sinking?
That every other word is sensitive nowadays?
Think that something should and can be done?

Well, you're in luck coz

Saya Anak Bansa Malaysia is on a roll with another road show, This time in Klang Valley!

Topics and Speakers on the day include:

The founding of the Nation, The truth
Fahmi Reza, Art Harun

Human beings, all born free and equal
Jahaberdeen Mohd Yunoos
Sivin Kit

Nation in Distress?

Did we let it happen?
Haris Ibrahim

This is my home. I care. I want to make it better.
Jayanath Appudurai

In the tradition of SABM, do please bring along a friend of another race!

Date 23 Jan Saturday
Time 2pm

To register
Call 03-2095-0435 12pm-7pm
or email events@sayaanakbangsamalaysia.net

for more info, click here

Note the difference with between Jibby's 1Malaysia, here

if you ask me; One's an effort through the heart, another's a half-baked farce

James Cameron's Avatar Review

2009-12-27T03:54:00.007+08:00

It’s been a long night… but a very happy night!

First off, I’m feeling in the mood to blog again.

Second off, Avatar Rocks.

(THANK you thambi, and your generous friend!)

Third Off, I met Danny, A Jovial Taxi Driver who makes me realize a lot of things.

Uh… Now I’m reading the above lines… and the “….off” do sound weird, LOL!

I’ve been away from blogging for quite some time.
Paeds was hectic, and I didn’t quite put much effort into writing.
Ortho was less so, but I was caught up with the Environmental Carnival.. and since my Blog is about pushing for change, about opening eyes and minds, and I’m doing that much better by etching the Carnival out than writing here… I let resonating-ripple rest a bit :p

What made me blog? Avatar Did!

I really have to say, It’s the prettiest movie I’ve ever seen.
Especially those biolumisnescent Jelly Fish- Dandelion chimeras… They are so… dazzlingly beautiful…
And despite their size and short on-screen time, I’m made to believe they’ve each got their own personality.

The 3D rendering of the world,
- the waterfall that dropped off into misty sprays
- the tubeworm like plants
- the “TOUCH-ME-PLEASE because I glow pretty” plants (touch me nots, you’re a shame!)

-the communion dance around the tree, pulsating waves of light and energy going to the heart of Eywa…..

Ever felt like going to a place you’ve seen in a movie?
This movie is so SAD because It’s a place you can’t go to! I so Wanna Go there!

James Cameron,

I give you credit for
-Out Lucas-ing George Lucas! You’ve achieved your dream.
And as Sam Worthington Said “ It feels like that’s real, and this world is a dream”
-Sending a message so subtle yet so clear
-Doing all That in Style.

15 years was worth the wait. Salute, Salute.

Why?
Jimmy had his own fantasy movie in his head since he was 17.
He grew up drawing fantasy characters in his notebook with his Maths textbook shield-up in front during lessons.
He pictured his planets, his characters, his heroes, their powers….

Then he saw Star Wars… he went home.. and punched the wall.

He felt that he should have been the one to make that movie. Lucas Stole his limelight!

Fast forward his teenage and young adult years…
Now He’s in the Director’s chair of Titanic..
Building half a cruise liner on solid land only to blast it away…

But the time, 1994 I believe, was a sad time for America…
the mood of country at that time was sombre .. for economic and other reasons..

His movie went over budget by twice the original amount

Titanic’s Screening date arrived and went and they needed more time for post-processing so they had to make the Cinemas worldwide wait and change their release dates

If that wasn’t bad enough, He made a movie that in which Everyone Died!

“OH GOD!” He said to himself… “WHAT WAS I THINKING!”
He was given the ultimatum by the powers that be to wrap it up …but he persisted and relinquished his pay as a statement, a guarantee that he would see it through…

And Titanic Rose above the waves of doubt and became the best selling movie of the decade.

His reputation intact… and confidence building… he set out to film his dream movie…
ONLY to discover that technology couldn’t catch up with his imagination.

He had to wait, and he had to push
-push SONY Japan to Come up with a camera the world had not seen
-push Silver Screen conglomerates to accept Modifications in their cinemas worldwide to be 3D ready..
-Push Directors, Companies, Disney to come up with movies that sell so that the Conglomerate bosses would see that People want 3D movies..
(and that’s why we have Spy Kids 3D, Bolt 3D, Journey to the centre of the eath 3D, and yes, a Christmas Carol 3D…but of course, these were just appetizers.. coz he was cooking up a hell of a main course )

Through many trials and tribulations…

working with Weta Digital NZ (the company that made LOTR’s spectacles possible)

with Oxford Linguists- he made them craft out an entirely new language..

with biologists and scientists- Who thought up Common names, Scientific Latin names as well as Navi’ Names for each and every plant, animal and rock you see on screen, and catalogued all of that into an encyclopedia many times larger than Star Wars’.

He came up with this! And what a ride that was!

Back to the movie, It’s… groundbreaking, it’s Awe-inspiring.. it’s……. drool-inducing LOL….. and heart-breaking

Love it.

I mean, to come up with a technologically advanced movie is no mean feat…
But to add on to that a meaningful story, romance, action, adventure, all in beautifully rendered 3D…counts for much.

It certainly will be the movie of this Decade.

there are many messages woven into the storyline,
but the one I elaborate here resonates with the conservationist in me.

Human greed knows no bounds.
what you see happening on screen, is but a miniscule part of what is happening on our world.

In Malaysia,
Palm Oil plantations, Timber Merchants, Government Officials with pockets waiting to be lined up with Bakun dam overspending are all rubbing their grubby hands in glee while Malaysian Forests disappear off the Google Earth map that you see, hundreds of acres each day.

The Natives , the real bumiputras.. as I have so often said before
are the ones who suffer. Their lands get bulldozed over, their food, their home, their livelihood destroyed, their ancestral graves desecrated, their young women raped…their culture lost…

Nothing is left when $$ is allowed to rule.

Money is the root of all evil. Before you entertain the notion that I’m about to spew crap,
hear me out.

Humans started out like all other beings on earth, only taking what they need: food, and shelter.
Overtime, they traded through barter exchange what they didn’t produce…but because there is only so much leftover that you can swap…all is well.

After the invention of currency. EVERYTHING CHANGED.

With money you could buy a lot more that you need,
You end up with a lot of items non-essential for survival… take the mobile phone in your pocket, the Ipod your kid listens to while he ignores you, the multiple shoes your daughter keeps in her museum…

with the invention of money, people start to amass wealth, to indulge in frivolities,
and in the process, take away what once belonged to others.

Our tribesman drink from streams, from leaves
The healthy American drinks only bottled mineral water, but having dried up their own aquifers long ago, they are now globe trotting to Africa to pump away the land’s underground water supply, to be transported back home.

How much damage does that make, you ask? TOO MUCH.
The ground water having run dry, Africa’s Saharas threaten to evolve into more and more deserts and the land can no longer support vegetation. People have had to migrate from their homeland, and hman-animal conflicts become commonplace when food becomes scarce.

Is it fair? It is not. For someone to enjoy something on the expense of the suffering of another is unjust, and is not right.

For the rest of us using paper, timber, fuel, electricity,
remember that what you are enjoying isn’t guilt free.

I know these luxuries are now essentials and we really can’t live without them..
but the keyword here is moderation, and sustainability.

With each piece of paper that you use both sides, you are aiding the welfare of your countrymen by slowing down the destruction of their home.

With each kilometer travelled replaced by cycling or walking, you are reducing the need for petrol, the need for bio-fuel which comes from palm oil, the amount of green house gases and you exercise for your health at the same time.. Is that not a fair bargain?

With Each Kilowatt of energy saved by not putting the television on standby or leaving your computer on to download illegally, you are reducing the need for a new hydroelectric dam, or even worse, a coal plant to be built.

That is what you can do... for the sake of your people, for your children and grandchildren and it really is very easy to do.

I'll be writing on Mr Danny in the next post, considering it is 4am now.

If you've read this far, please do come to our See Green, See Life! carnival,
details at http://seegreenseelife.weebly.com

Event Website is Up!

2009-11-27T16:05:00.003+08:00

See Green, See Life!
For a link to the Environmental CArnival @ HUKM @ 9/1/2010

See Green, See Life Environmental Campaign!

2009-11-21T01:38:00.009+08:00

The event can be followed @ this facebook link
The official Website for the event

An environmental Campaign Organized by Medical Students of the National University of Malaysia (UKM) will be held in Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM), Cheras
come January the 9th, 2010

Wtih the theme: See Green, See life!
Alternate theme : Alam Ceria, Warisan Kita

Below are the details of the programme, To be Finalized soon
there will be a better looking Poster version of the Event to be uploaded soon!

Here are some of the details of the programme.
Please feel free to comment or suggest on ways to improve upon our programme!

GENERAL INFORMATION

OFFICIAL SPONSORS : Tentatively CIMB bank, Digi Communications,
The Body Shop.

1. Exhibition themes :
• The Carbon Footprint –Global Warming
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
• Conservation

2. Workshops - Fabric Bags Painting/ Bookmarks/

3. Officiation ceremony :
Tentatively by the Vice Chancellor of the National University of Malaysia, Prof Dato Sharifah Habsah Syed Syahabuddin

4. Keynote Address Speech by
The Director Of The Department of Environment, Cik Asmah Ibrahim
Topic: Gentle Footsteps, Concrete action

5. Forum : Between Halal and Vegetarian Food
• A speaker from JAKIM - Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia ( to be finalized)
• Dr Pang CK, a practicing buddhist who currently is attached to General Hospital Kuala Lumpur. He is known for his books- {Don't worry be happy} as well as a frequent guest speaker for interfaith events
• Associate Professor Dr Poh Bee Koon.the honorary secretary of the Nutrition Society of Malaysia, A Nutritionist as well as a Lecturer with National University of Malaysia, UKM.
• A moderator for the forum, tentatively, Associate Prof Dr Harlina Halizah Hj Siraj.

6. Undergraduate Presentations:
• Introduction to E=MC2 UM and UM Cares
• Premiere of “When I was Young” Environmental Competition Video Entries

7. Environmentally Themed Competitions

8. Invited Speaker __________ Topic: Crisis of Our times

9. Free Movie Screening: An Inconvenient Truth

10. Tentatively- A Green Artiste will be invited to perform.
11. Booths :

• Clinical Booths by UKM Medical Students

• NGOs- Malaysian Nature Society, World wildlife fund for Nature, Wildasia, Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Save Our Seahorses, Turtle Conservation Centre etc

• Companies- Ecopak, Melsom, other companies selling recycled
products/ environmentally friendly products, Companies
offering Ecotourism packages

• Smaller SOHO companies selling environmentally friendly products:

• Governmental Organisations- Jabatan Alam sekitar, Ministry of
Environment and Resources

TARGET AUDIENCE
1) The General Public
2) UKM Medical Faculty Students
3) Staff of UKM Medical Centre
4) Undergraduates of UKM, Bangi
5) Undergraduates of Universities such as UM, UPM, MMU, UTAR, KTAR
6) Secondary school students from the area (Cheras.)

INFORMATION FOR GUESTS/ INVITED NGOS/ COMPANIES :

Location : UKM Medical Centre
(Pusat Perubatan UKM)
Jalan Yaacob Latif Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras 56000 Kuala Lumpur

Meaning of Life? Examplified 人生意义

2009-10-31T13:25:00.002+08:00

This was seen in an email.... Didn't expect the moral of the story to be in such a different direction! ;-)

有一對兄弟，他們的家住在80層樓。
>
> 有一天他們出去爬山，回家的時候，卻發現大樓停電了！雖然他們揹著一大包的行李，但看來沒什麼選擇，於是哥哥對弟弟說：「我們爬樓梯上去吧！」
>
> 於是，他們就揹著一大包行李開始往上爬。
>
> 到了20樓的時候，他們開始累了！
> 哥哥告訴弟弟說：「包包太重了，這樣吧！我們把它放在20樓，先爬上去，等電來了再坐電梯下來拿。」，
> 弟弟說：「好！你真聰明！」，於是他們就把包包放在20樓，繼續往上爬。
>
> 卸下了沈重的包袱，輕鬆多了！他們一路有說有笑地往上爬。
>
> 但好景不常，到了40樓，兩人實在累了，想到只爬了一半，往前看，竟還有40樓要爬，兩人開始互相抱怨，指責對方不注意停電公告，才會落得如此下場。他們邊吵邊爬，就這樣一路到了60樓。
>
> 到了60樓，也許是累得連吵架的力氣都沒有了，哥哥對弟弟說：「只剩20層樓了，我們就不要吵了，默默地爬著樓梯！」。
>
> 於是他們安靜地繼續走，終於，80樓到了！到了家門口，哥哥擺出了一個很帥的姿勢：「弟弟，開門！」，弟弟說「別鬧了！鑰匙不是在你那兒嗎？」......，
>
> 結果，如你所想的，他們把鑰匙放在20樓的包包裡了！......
>
> ********************************************
>
> 有人說，這個故事其實在反映我們的人生。
>
> 20歲之前，我們活在家人、老師的期望和期許之下，背負著很多的壓力、包袱在走，自己也不夠成熟有能力，因此步履難免不穩。
>
> 20歲之後，離開了眾人的壓力，卸下包袱，開始全力追求自己的夢想，就這樣過了愉快的二十年。
>
> 可是到了40歲，發現青春早已過去，不免有許多的遺憾追悔，於是開始遺憾這個、惋惜那個、抱怨公司、抱怨社會、抱怨政府。。。。，就這樣在抱怨遺憾中度過了二十年。
>
> 到了60歲，發現人生已所剩不多，於是告訴自己，不要再抱怨了，就珍惜剩下的日子吧！於是默默地走完自己的餘年。
>
> 到了生命的盡頭，才想起自己好像有什麼事還沒完成。。。。，
> 原來，我的夢想還留在20歲，沒有完成。你也是如此嗎？
>
> 想想: 您的夢想是什麼？最在意的是什麼？不要到了40年後才來追悔。
>
> 想一想希望將來的自己和現在有何不同，就去做吧！。。。把握現在，記得，今天就是禮物。

Let's lend a....errr.. flipper to our country's Chelonians!

2009-10-11T18:02:00.003+08:00

We will be running a 24 hour turtle blogathon starting 25th October 2009 (9pm Malaysian time) to raise funds for the newly-established Turtle Conservation Centre based in Terengganu, Malaysia www.turtleconservationcentre.org

In the event, we will be writing and publishing a blog post every hour for 24-hours non-stop. The blog posts will be answers to questions on freshwater and marine turtles submitted to cp@turtleconservationcentre.org or this email. Everyone is invited to submit questions from now till 25th October 2009.. So if there are things that you'd like to know about marine and freshwater turtles but never knew who to ask, THIS is your chance :)

Please join us anytime from 9am, 25 October to 9 pm, 26 October 2009 and send us messages to egg us on, or to pledge a donation. No amount is too little or too much. The funds raised will be channeled to the turtle research and conservation projects that we carry out.

For more information about the Turtle Blogathon and how you can participate, please visit: Here

Thank you for your support and we really hope you will join us in our event.

Sincerely,

E.H. Chan
CEO
Turtle Conservation Centre
www.turtleconservationcentre.org

This is just so beautiful .. Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia :-)

2009-09-12T23:31:00.004+08:00

After what transpired some time ago at Section 23 left a sour taste in our mouths...

I feel so glad to see damage control is actually underway... in the form of visiting the hindu temple in question by Haris Ibrahim and gang...

http://harismibrahim.wordpress.com/2009/09/07/the-beautiful-malay/

It just touches me that such a simple move in such a time can mean so much...

remember that the UMNO goons who orchestrated the protest that day... they never apologized. Not one bit. And no remedial action were done by them to ease the tension.. if fact they brought the tension up a notch by the uncivilised behaviour shown at the problem solving session held by the Selangor government to find a solution...

Let's leave that episode behind, and move on...

There are many beautiful Malays in our Midst... Haris Foremost, Zaid Ibrahim, hat's off to him...Marina Mahathir; a bow to her.....

and the many well mannered muslim folk who themselves divulged that...

"who are we to complain about the relocation of the temple?
We have our Azan five times a day and our neighbours take it in their stride while we protest over the chiming of the bells of the temple?
Do they not have rights too?"

This is the kind of attitude we need.. understanding, empathy and sharing... only then can there be hope for our beloved country... And that is the spirit behind the Saya Anak bangsa Initiative by Haris...

I can't say the same for the 1Malaysia thingy by Najib... its too frought with contradiction and irony...

Either way.. let us feel grateful that there will always be clear minded people in the midst of the confused crowd... let us follow their lead and make Malaysia a better place!

Happy Hari Malaysia come 16th of September!

Musings... Let's waste time...

2009-09-07T23:47:00.004+08:00

Ah... today I really feel no oomph at all for studying... probably due to the triad paper this morning that is really quite taxing... Oh maybe as Oncogene puts it... "I'm too old to study liao... why can't medicine be a three year course"?
LOL

Wanted to hear this song again... very much.. dunno why...

I rediscovered this song while in UK... listening to Fleur's and Caryn's handphones... Was hooked on it for days...

I say Rediscover because I liked it before but didn't try to find the song after hearing it on the waves....

Glad to have found it again... It's called Chasing cars... by a group called...Snow Patrol...
What connection has it got to do with Taylor Hicks (the american Idol runner up) you ask?

I wondered about that too... Go find out yourself... as most lecs would say... "I'm not gonna spoon feed you" haha.. in a weird mood today...

Why do I love it? Coz its lyrics resonate with me... my outlook on life,... my thoughts and feelings... the rebel-with-a-cause feel to it...

The simple lyrics that are absolutely open to interpretation makes me feel that it can be meaningful in so many ways...je ne sais quoi....

In a way its kind of a sad song but I don't think that's what the songwriter meant for it to be.... I think its more of an expression of a feeling... a gentle wish that you hope could be heard by that special someone... without you telling....

Here are the lyrics... :-)

We'll do it all
Everything
On our own

We don't need
Anything
Or anyone

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me
And just forget the world?

I don't quite know
How to say
How I feel

Those three words
Are said too much
They're not enough

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me
And just forget the world?

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden
That's bursting into life

Let's waste time
Chasing cars
Around our heads

I need your grace
To remind me
To find my own

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me
And just forget the world?

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden
That's bursting into life

All that I am
All that I ever was
Is here in your perfect eyes
They're all I can see

I don't know where
Confused about how as well
Just know that these things
Will never change for us at all

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me
And just forget the world?

To everyone... Good luck in your respective orthopaedic and psychiatry papers tomorrow! Good luck to RURU!!! =B (rubbit rubbit)

The Greatest Roller Coaster?

2009-08-23T12:50:00.008+08:00

The following pictures are taken from an email I received... I can't help but to post them here because of the the following sentence

THE LAST PICTURE SAYS IT ALL

By the way, this ride can be attempted at New Ohio, US.

Real Life Sharingan (Sasuke's) 写轮眼

2009-08-11T23:48:00.006+08:00

Which one of these does this look like?

Oh FYI (why spoil the fun by knowing the truth?)

its a type of cataract termed as Sutural Cataract.

The World is just AMAZING. Ain't it? Oh and if you prefer to say that God is amazing, well your god reads Manga!

1 Malaysia, My foot

2009-08-08T17:41:00.000+08:00

No I'm not making a mockery of this supposedly (yes, supposedly) Noble Cause.

Not when the people pushing for it are making a mockery of it themselves!

Espousing Racial Unity while encouraging Ethnic Divide..

Is Hypocrisy part and parcel of BN's existence?

this plunging of the knife, deepening the gorge that exist between Malaysians has been the only thing they know ever since the 1990's. Its their only reflex, their only defense mechanism, their only strategy.

So blatant is this that traces of it are everyday in UTUSAN and BERITA HARIAN, lesser in the Star, but also in quite a few chinese dailies.

Everything political event will be given a spin, every white cloth given a dye.

and worst of all... this 1malaysia thingy, is a stolen Idea from Haris Ibrahim's Anak Bangsa Malaysia Initiative... the first movement to push the bangsa Malaysia concept along..

This hypocrisy is getting on my nerves.

This article is by Ktemoc

Malay language mainstream media's racist game - will Najib ever speak up?

Sim Kwang Yang wrote a fine article in Malaysiakini titled The Umno dilemma.

He talked about PM Najib being aware of the new mood of the electorate, and of the Pakatan offering the rakyat the Ketuanan Rakyat as a far more attractive and inclusive alternative to UMNO’s Ketuanan Melayu.

Najib, as Sim observed, attempted to meet the new mood by making and managing the required change to his advantage, in offering a new political ideology to win back the middle ground.

As Sim said: Najib immediately announced plans for Umno's reform. The top party leadership was to be elected directly by the grass-root members in future, to eradicate money politics during party election, a measure that was first mooted by Ku Li.

He then proposed a series of 'liberalisations', and created the new old 1Malaysia slogan. Sloganeering is part and parcel of Malaysian politics, and gullible middle-ground Malaysians with a tendency for wishful-thinking are particularly susceptible to it.

For a while, it looked like the new Najib administration did have a fresh new mask to change the public perception of Umno.

But alas, as Sim noticed: Usually, when the Umno ... boss comes up with a new slogan, you hear it being echoed ad infinitum down the line by leaders at various levels like loyal parrots.
This time though, the various proposals by the new PM were welcome by a deafening silence from his own people.
The only voice was the stinging remark by the former PM Dr Mahathir Mohaham, reiterating Umno's communal ideology, as if to rebuke Najib's 1Malaysia policy.

This is significant. Utusan Malaysia, the bastion of Umno propaganda machinery and official organ of Umno ideology, was seen soon after to make every political issue into racial one, from Teoh Beng Hock's death, to the anti-ISA mass rally on Aug 8.

So, it shouldn’t be surprising to see provocative pieces coming out from the UMNO (perhaps no longer Najib's) controlled media, such as the recent sh*t-stirring invocation to Malays to have a bit of balls and stand up to those arrogant rapacious ‘nons’.

That such seditious incitement of the 'Malays are cowards' article was permitted to be published without a peep from Najib would point to either his complicity in or his helplessness against the insidious untuk bangsa clarion call, the latter case notwithstanding his claim to be a warlord of UMNO.

UMNO die-hards believe that the ethno-centric clarion call could re-marshal the faithful and perhaps more back its keris-ed banner. The by-election results in both Bukit Gantang and Manek Urai seem to support this belief.

Today, another of those seditious incitements published in Berita Harian, was picked up by The Malaysian Insider, titled Kaitan demonstrasi, kempen hentam Melayu — Abdul Rahman Sulaiman

It said: Sesiapa saja yang mengikuti gelagat politik DAP akhir-akhir ini akan dapat mengesan satu pola yang lebih mirip atau menjurus ke arah satu kempen atau gerakan terancang memburukkan kepemimpinan atau institusi Melayu.
Quick tranlation: Observers of DAP would have seen in its politics a pattern of campaigning to belittle Malay leaders and institutions.
Yes, we've heard that one before when the demands for MACC to account for a death in custody.

I need only paste here the article's last three paragraphs for you to see what the article has inflammatorily argued as the DAP's Malay bashing campaign, a swift escalation of the earlier ‘Malays are cowards’ instigation:

Adalah dipercayai bahawa pembabitan dalam demonstrasi menentang ISA pada Sabtu lalu juga sebahagian daripada kempen menghentam Melayu itu dalam erti kata kerajaan yang dijadikan sasaran dianggap sebagai kerajaan Melayu.

Malangnya, strategi berkenaan nyata meleset apabila sebahagian besar pembabitan terdiri daripada orang Melayu sehingga ada di kalangan mereka berasa diperbodohkan penganjur.

Sampai bila kempen menghentam Melayu ini akan diteruskan? Apakah Melayu sanggup membiarkan persepsi bahawa yang malas itu Melayu, yang rasuah itu Melayu dan yang bodoh itu Melayu berterusan tanpa penyudah?

Expect Najib to remain silent on this racist incitement.
Obviously UMNO believes in pursuing its untuk bangsa strategy, which has been why DPM Muhyiddin had described Anwar Ibrahim as a traitor to the Malay race, while the UMNO mouthpieces like Utusan has termed PAS as a tool of the DAP to divide and rule the Malays.

But alas, despite that insult to PAS, people like Dr Hassan Ali and the Kulim Wonder have one way or another convinced UMNO it’s on the right (racist) path.

Sim termed his article The UMNO Dilemma because (as he wrote):

... the racial tirade is also revealing. It shows the inability of Umno to create a new narrative to meet the changing reality of Malaysia. When provoked into action, their reflex reaction is to revert back to the tired, archaic, irrelevant, fossilised and outdated, discourse of their past.

In effect, their racial discourse can only please the believers, but will do nothing to win over converts from the non-believers. It will alienate the Chinese and the Indians even more, thereby negating all BN effort to win back the middle ground.

It all goes to show how hard it is for an old political party that is used to enjoying political hegemony to reform itself when it is on the decline. Simply put, Umno is full of too many warlords with too much political baggage and too much vested interests. It has become like a dinosaur with a small head and a huge body, that finds it simply too sluggish to move anywhere, metaphorically.

Well fine, but where’s the dilemma?

Sim also wrote:

They see the various races as monolithic entities going at one another's throat. Apparently, they are stuck in the time capsule of the 1960s. In reality, there are no such monolithic racial entities. The social economic changes in the country in the past decades have allowed the various ethnic entities to evolve into very complex, diverse, and multi-layered organisms.

I looked at dramatic images of the mostly Malay police force beating down on the mostly Malay anti-ISA protestors, and I see the deep wound inflicted by Umno on the Malay soul. Such a scene was unthinkable mere decades ago!

malaysiakini photo

In short, political propaganda must fit some of the reality of lived experience. The chief worry of the Malay men and women, especially those in the urban centres of Malaysia, is the task of keeping or seeking a good job, rising price hikes in all things necessary for basic daily living, avoiding criminals, and the children's education.

In this struggle for survival, many see the government as the culprit of their sufferings, and not the Chinese or the Indians, who suffer alongside them.

I'll be kind to Najib and give him the benefit of the doubt and say, maybe he sees what Sim has said, that in this struggle for survival, many see the government as the culprit of their sufferings, and not the Chinese or the Indians, who suffer alongside them, but alas, obviously not Muhyiddin Yassin and many other top UMNO leaders.

And what do those mutes stung by hornets, namely MCA, Gerakan, MIC, and PPP, have to say?

end of article

http://ktemoc.blogspot.com/2009/08/malay-language-mainstream-medias-racist.html

A Must Read. Period.

2009-08-07T16:58:00.005+08:00

Reading articles like these always make me feel justified for recommending the Sun newspaper to everyone. (www.sun2surf.com)

the articles are neutral, and the comments by the like of Citizen Nades, Nuri Vittachi are all constructive, sensible and pack a punch. And this article, by Yeo Yang Poh published on Monday, 3rd August 09.. is another stellar piece that makes you think and concur.

______________________________________________________________________________

WHY march, when the government has said that it will review the Internal Security Act? Why march, when there are other very cosy ways of giving your views and feedback?

One would understand if these were questions posed by nine-year-olds. But they are not. They are questions posed by the prime minister of this nation we call our home. Answer we must. So, why?

Because thousands who died while in detention cannot march or speak any more. That is why others have to do it for them. Because persons in the corridors of power, persons who have amassed tremendous wealth and live in mansions, and persons who are in the position to right wrongs but won’t, continue to rule our nation with suffocating might. And they certainly would not march. They would prevent others from marching.

Because the have-nots, the sidelined, the oppressed, the discriminated and the persecuted have no effective line to the powerful. Because the nice ways have been tried ad nauseam for decades, but have fallen on deaf ears. Because none of the major recommendations of Suhakam (including on peaceful assembly), or of the commissions of inquiry, has been implemented.

Because the proposed Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) is not in sight, while corruption and insecurity live in every neighbourhood; and (despite reasoned views expressed ever so nicely in opposition) Rela (people’s volunteer corps) is being brought in to make matters even worse. The proponents in “Su Qiu” (remember them?) were not marchers. In fact it is hard to find nicer ways than “su qiu”, because the term means “present and request” or “inform and request”. In terms of putting forward a view or a request, it is the height of politeness.

Yet they were labelled “extremists” – they who did not march. And now you ask, why march? Because you gave non-marchers a false name! You called them the “silent majority”, who by virtue of their silence (so you proudly argued with twisted logic) were supporters of government policies since they were not vocal in raising objections.

You claimed to be protecting the interest of the “silent majority”. Now some of them do not want to be silent anymore, and you are asking why? Yes, because double standards and hypocrisy cannot be covered up or explained away forever; and incompetence cannot be indefinitely propped up by depleting resources.

Because cronyism can only take care of a few people, and the rest will eventually wake up to realise the repeated lies that things were done in certain ways purportedly “for their benefit”. Because the race card, cleverly played for such a long time, is beginning to be seen for what it really is – a despicable tool to divide the rakyat for easier political manipulation.

Because it does not take much to figure out that there is no good reason why Malaysia, a country with abundant human resources and rich natural resources, does not have a standard of living many times higher than that of Singapore, an island state with no natural resources and that has to import human resources from Malaysia and elsewhere. Because, in general, countries that do not persecute marchers are prosperous or are improving from their previous state of affairs, and those that do are declining.

Because Gandhi marched, Mandela marched, Martin Luther King marched, and Tunku Abdul Rahman marched. Because more and more people realise that peaceful assemblies are no threat at all to the security of the nation, although they are a threat to the security of tenure of the ruling elite.

Because politicians do not mean it when they say with a straight face or a smile that they are the servants and that the people are the masters. No servant would treat his master with tear gas, batons and handcuffs. Because if the marchers in history had been stopped in their tracks, places like India, Malaysia and many others would still be colonies today, apartheid would still be thriving in South Africa, Nelson Mandela would still be scribbling on the walls of Cell 5, and Obama would probably be a slave somewhere in Mississippi plotting to make his next midnight dash for the river.

And because liberty, freedom and dignity are not free vouchers posted out to each household. They do not come to those who just sit and wait. They have to be fought for, and gained. And if you still want to ask: why march; I can go on and on until the last tree is felled. But I shall obviously not. I will end with the following lines from one of the songs sung in the 1960s by civil rights marchers in the US, without whom Obama would not be able to even sit with the whites in a bus, let alone reside in the White House:

“It isn’t nice to block the doorway It isn’t nice to go to jail There are nicer ways to do it But the nice ways have all failed It isn’t nice; it isn’t nice You’ve told us once, you’ve told us twice But if that’s freedom’s price We don’t mind ...”

(Yeo Yang Poh is a former Bar Council president.)
_____________________________________________________

Hmmmm..

2009-08-03T11:44:00.002+08:00

PM also annouce that 100 unit of AS1M will be given to all university 1st year students, this is something very fishy, why not given to all students including secondary & primary school students to encourage saving habit? (if the motive of the government is to encourage saving then it shd be start in primary school as this habit shd start young). Is that because the university students are mostly above 21 years old and they can vote in the next General Election. Sound like next GE is around the corner......

Like what others mentioned in this portal, there are too many funds raised from PNB for this year. 2bil of ASW, then 3.3 bil of ASM, and then 10bil of AS1M, all happened within a year, and this never happened b4.

but the thing is there is no transparency on how and why the government need to raise the fund??? and where the fund will use for? to promote unity and 1 Malaysia? then why impose quota like what we have in our local university education systems nowadays?

somemore this is not capital guaranteed, more risks than any previous bonds/funds.

I'm seriously thinking about this one....

Time of our life!

2009-08-01T13:07:00.001+08:00

At 12hr 34 minutes and 56 seconds on the 7th of August
this year, the time and date will be

12:34:56 07/08/09

Will this ever happen in our life again??!!!!

ENT posting- University of Nottingham Musings 1

2009-07-08T17:43:00.000+08:00

Its been a week since I left Malaysia..

Let's see what's changed..
Well... My hair has grown a wee bit longer... my skin a lil dryer... my intestines have gotten used to not having rice and I've given up converting the money I spent to M'sian ringgit..

Here's some perspective...
I bought this sandwich 2 pieces of bread with bacon, tomato and lettuce
It comes up to 2.50£...
Bought this Milkshake for 3.95£
went into a toilet for 30p (0.3£)

1£=RM5.87 (from my local Exchanger in Muar)

So technically a toilet trip costs your RM1.60 :-(
A simple meal can cost up to RM25
While an elaborate one can cost RM70... shucks...

The train from London to Nottingham costs 29 pounds...
= RM170!!!

The taxi we took from The rail station to Nottinham campus..
cost us 6.60£....= RM36!... -.-""

Just heard the Faculty would be slashing our RM10000 down to RM8000..
Which translates into 1361£ only! Shucksssss...GERBYYYYYY

Saving money... selling blood...

Oh well... It is crazy when you convert you see..
but if you earn your wages here... you're fine...

The median Wage is around 36,000£ per year..
which is what malaysians get as well... 3000 per month...

Difference is you can get a bottle of Pantene shampoo fro 1.6 pounds..
And you get Nikes here for 19 pounds onwards...
Oh.. and you can get a CAr here for 1491£... and I'm not sure whether that's first or second hand!~yup RM7000

that is inflation for you. Malaysia's inflation rate is off the charts... and Najib says its all fine.

To buy a decent compact car, peugeot, ford,... may just cost 4000£= 2 months wages...
To buy a not so decent car in MAlaysia you'd need 40000= a year of wages...

To earn what an average briton earns per year...
You need to work 6 years!

I'm not saying I'm looking forward to settling here though...

Home is still home And I love my Lil Muar town as well as our Malaysian food!!!! Miss Chinese food.... yum yum...
Petrol is 1.31 pounds at someplaces...

hmmmm... I'm in The Queen Medical Campus for the 2nd day..
So far its pretty good!
Got a lot to talk about.. the systems and everything... but let me just clue you in on this one..

Currently I'm attending the Clinic with 4 people...

the Doctor,
the patient,
the nurse and
me...

Teaching and learning is on a ONE on ONE basis!
That... is the best thing!
They only have 8 ENT students per posting! Gracias! oh well wrong language... as they say .....
"LOVELY!"

cheers

Tentative: Environmental Carnival

2009-06-27T13:56:00.001+08:00

Please Have a read through and give me your comments!

Thank you, and forward the message to people who you think may be interested in implementing this!
A copy of this document is available in Word format, downloadable at
http://www.4shared.com/file/114393696/5e664d21/Proposal_Environmental_Carnival.html

Potential committee Candidates!

Sinchee
Wen Ying
Chai peng
Huan Yan (Ming wei)
Rachel
Hui Fang
Jane
Bin hoo
Wu hui
Jia Ying
Hui Fang
Yan Chin
Ru hui
Zhi yi
Ying Quan
Siew Khing
Su yan
Soon Hooi
Thomson

please suggest additional candidates, especially our Malay and Indian friends who you think maybe interested! Also any 3rd Year or 5th Year Students that are active in Tzuchi Association
Repost this note if you can. :-)

Details of the programme

Proposal Of Environmental Carnival

1) Environmental Movie Screening
Entrance ticket = recycle items e/g 2kg of newspapers etc
(Get tickets and a badge in exchange)

Choice of movies
An inconvenient truth by Al gore
11th Hour by Leonardo Dicaprio
“Home” by Yann Arthus-Bertrand
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU

- A research on the respective movies should be made with a summary
- it should be included with a Q&A session

(consider including Subtitles in Malay and Chinese )

2) What each of us can do (a multimedia presentation after the movie)

Title: A drop in the Ocean?
- hand outs will be given during the presentation
- detailing small lifestyle changes that students can make living in the hostels.

3) 2nd Multimedia presentation
- Recorded Video- “When I was small”
- detailing what has changed from the 1980’s till now in terms of the weather, the
environment and human relations etc
eg- when I was small our childhood was filled with kite-flying, hide and seek, now everyone has their hearing plugged up with earphones

When I was small we had tadpoles and guppies in drains and rain puddles… now we only have mud and sludge

We will collect video/ Audio/ Blog recordings of these memories
This effort is a joint effort between UM, USM and UKMMC (organized by E=MC2)
If it is successful, we have journalists in our ranks that can help publish our effort to the Mainstream Media
if that doesn't work out, we will always have YOUTUBE :-)

4)Exhibition of Environmental Products
- What are the products that are relevant to us students or doctors
- What can attract the companies/ societies to come
- Research on the exhibition during the Eco Film Festival organized by the Eco Knights
http://www.ecoknights.com/content/blogcategory/29/66/
- Bazaar? What should be sold?

Exhibition of Environmental NGOs and groups

5)Contests? Research on the feasibility of a contest.
- any interest?
- theme
- Sponsorship of prizes?

6) Changes in KTDI (cooperate with JAKSA Ktdi)
- polystyrene and plastic bad use
: Information : The danger of Polystyrene.. contact with heat become styrene, a
Carcinogen
: Encourage students to bring their own Tupperware to buy food from café’s or dine in
to enjoy discounts
: If opt for polystyrene must pay 20 cents extra (implemented in USM)
: Consider alternatives to Polystyrene ( a biodegradable type made from Palm oil waste)
- Introduction of Vegetarian food to other Ethics
(You are What you Eat)
Incorporate Ethnic Relations, as in a Forum ala Interfaith Forum held in Dk1 KCKL
when we were in 2st Year :
Title : What is Halal food, what is Vegetarian food?

Successful implementation in Wahid, move on to Kazema and Besta

Installing a recycling centre in KTDI itself, (area behind Kafe/ Underneath Surau)
- Funds
- Sponsorship
- Collection servuces
- Cooperate with Rhea Corp

7) Additional programmes (recommendation from Prof Harlina)
A visit to Radicare Waste disposal facility for Medical Students
include visits to other centres/ places on the one day trip

Selection of the Date of the event
- Away from Exams and holidays,
- Ensure no clash with other programmes.
-maybe as a complementary programme in a mega programme such as Warisan Mesra?

Publisiti- PERSIAP (facebook and blog)
- KTDI (JAKSA)

Can incorporate Merit in this programme?
I will try to discuss with Fadhli

(Incorporate this the Racial Harmony theme ?)

Download the word file to Email to your friends at
http://www.4shared.com/file/114393696/5e664d21/Proposal_Environmental_Carnival.html

Thank you very much,

sincerely Kuan Yew

Can't get enough of Transformers? Get Screensavers!

2009-06-24T23:29:00.003+08:00

Fanatics of Robotics .. here you go!!
Not forgetting the legions of the fans of the vixen out there (who should be by now much relieved to know that she IS NOT a transexual)
--scroll to the end of that page--

BUMBLEBEE Screensaver

I don't know why... but the Bumblebee one is WAYYYYY cooler than Optimus Prime!
They are only 8Mb per file :-)

OPTIMUS PRIME Screensaver

Or.... Drool Over this one!

click to enlarge and save! Its for a desktop 1680 X 1050 pixels in size!

USB drive Malware Removal (even before you use it!)

2009-06-22T18:29:00.008+08:00

People Hate me.

They Claim I am Troublesome, picky and a worry-wart!

Well I am not wrong to protect my "virgin" at all costs!

Won't you protect your sweet daughter from cold clammy (and hairy) fingers?

Well this virgin in question is my Desktop computer.
Its a virgin because I refuse removable drive entry into any of its 8 USB interfaces!

So any files they want from me /want to give me will need to come in the form of a CD/DVD!

Now, the problem with Pen/Thumb/USB/Flash
*pant pant*
drives are that some viruses are autoexecuted the moment you plug the memory device into your PC/MAC/Laptop/Netbook
*pant pant pant*

What it means is it may not be safe even to plug it into your Computer system even if you do not execute files within!

--intoducing the scary USB drive of death!--

The modus Operandi of Malware is that it contains an Autorun.inf file that automatically runs a file/program without you the user having any control over it.

I stumbled accross an Anti-Malware application for this purpose at this website

However I decided to scout around for alternatives from more trustworthy sites..
such as CNet's Download.com

and presto you have Autorun Eater at a measly 1.6MB for download, Here.

I guess I am fussy afterall.. Even after installing it.. I'm still having a moral dilemma whether to allow my PC to be Violated.

Condoms for USB drives maybe?

Mozzies! Shoo Shoo

2009-06-14T23:41:00.002+08:00

We ... students of KTDI are in danger...
because the area is a Dengue Hot-spot...

and a few of the medical students have fallen victim to the black and white portable syringes... poor Yong Kang

-Hypodermic Needle Included!-

In the tiny room of mine...
I have the dual problem of extreme heat...
and extreme Mozzie mania...
Mosquitoes are attracted to UV light, Carbon dioxide and Heat
Ah.. I have the latter two in abundance...
Small wonder why my room is Mosquito central..

Ah even got a name for my room
MOZZIE SAUNA

Well... I don't like killing anything uneccessarily..
but the mozzies are an exception...sigh
(Karma dun get me... I don't kill them when I'm in their territory-jungles etc
Oh well I try not to)
So I was passively swatting...
then came the electric racquet..

tried playing Mosquito repelling frequencies downloaded from the internet in MP3 format..
didn't work.
Reason given by 'experts'- MP3s are stripped down versions of audio files.. where inaudible (to humans) noises are filtered out to make the file tiny.
the ultrasonic waves are of course lost in translation...

Played the file on my PC thruout the night.. My housemate SH tried it too..
No workie..

K.. so A file doesn't work..
so I go for the plugged in version...

It claims to cover an area of 25m square..

Sadly... Plugged in 30cm away.. it failed to deter the mozzie pleasantly feasting on my arm!
Shucks..
wasted RM13 on this thing.

Oh well.. the real deal that is supposed to work cost RM169 in ace hardware...

Well... next up...
carbon dioxide traps
from the fermentation of sugar by Yeasts...

Wish me luck!

Photo Of Mosquito taken by Nikon D60 kit lens, in Redang.

Cheating in contest? Wawasan open University postcard

2009-06-13T14:07:00.005+08:00

Yeah, I entered this photography contest and got the 5th place!
Exhausting all my resources from Facebook ,Friendster, MSN and friends in University
I think that's perfectly alright...

What is not alright is the lack of screening of votes by the contest organizers

The major loophole in this contest is that the winner is selected purely based on public votes!
All you have to do is give a name and email address then later verify the email sent to you.

So technically you can create 1000 email addresses then vote for yourself if you have the tenacity to do it. well, (and the thick skin too)

I think that's what this contestant did.
http://contest.wou.edu.my/finalists_details.asp?rc=236&st=7

Scroll down the page about halfway through the voters and you start to see a pattern emerge. Click on the thumbnails to Enlarge

Oh..no not this... this is my vote for her/Him hehe

Scroll down further...

err... cousins?

Errrrr.. Step cousins perhaps?

If you go the page itself...
You'll see how you can save lotsa time from having to think up a Christian name for your newborn . (^.^)

I don't know about you.. but to me this appears to be a blatant use of the loophole.

I don't know about the other contestants, but maybe they have a better disguise..LOL

What can the organizers at this point you ask?
Well... I don't really know actually.

If only it were possible to contact Yahoo/ Gmail etc and enquire the age of the email addresses... then filter out the votes from emails with an age of less than 10 days (during the vote tallying time)

Maybe that would work? Alas its my wishful thinking..

The purpose of this post is to ensure that future contest organizers can make it a point to screen the votes... or better.. change to another method of voting.

Oh well.. that said.. I guess Huiyu deserved to win based on the photo. But I only hope he/she did it in a fair way.

The future of GAMING is WILD

2009-06-02T21:51:00.008+08:00

This is just awesome!

We thought Nintendo Wii broke the glass ceiling of Gaming...

Well... If this come through... XBOX will be touching the sky...

Oh well... if youre awed...
get ready for this!

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=112827416787&ref=share

Courtesy of Rooney! LOL

p.s. The cute girl in the video above looks like a fresher version of Megan fox! Duncha think?

Voting for WOU Postacrd contest is up and running!

2009-06-01T20:02:00.004+08:00

The voting page has been activated!

If you like my photo, please spare me a vote!
http://contest.wou.edu.my/finalists_details.asp?rc=604&st=24

Photography Contest Finals! Please vote :-)

2009-05-31T18:38:00.005+08:00

Phew!!! I got shortlisted... I'm so happy!!!!

Yay!

Thank you all for your constructive comments in my previous post at

http://resonating-ripple.blogspot.com/2009/03/photography-composition.html

despite my shortcoming, I manage to scrape thru...nearing the finish line...

Currently, all the runners are abreast...
now the one with the crowd behind his back....
the one with the loudest cheer from the audience...
will be the one to dash to the finish!

Therefore I need your help!!! The winners shall be determined by public voting!

Winning this competition will give me much encouragement
That said.. I will be glad to win just about anything...
我需要的是一个肯定!

No matter what, I promise to try harder Next time!! :-)

thanks for your time! the voting start tomorrow 1/6/2009 and ends 7/6/2009 *edit*

Kuan Yew

p.s.- a big thank you to ru hui for being my model
and a big big thank you to her parents for waiting in the car for an hour and
a half while I tried to get the elusive shot!

A meeting of young environmentalists! :-)

2009-05-29T23:02:00.004+08:00

Dear all,

One of the climate cool member from Japan is going to come to Malaysia. Her name is Yasuyo. She wishes to meet with youths/students/environmentalist from Malaysia to discuss some environmental issues.

But, no worries, this is not a "serious" meeting but rather is a platform for networking kinda meeting/gathering. It is good if some of you may join us.

Date: 6th of June
Time: 1500-1800
Venue: Yet to announce and finalize

Tentative program
15:00-15:30 Introduction and ice-breaking
15:30-16:00 Yasuyo-san sharing about her Japan training of 2009
15 min break ( Yasuyo-san will bring some Japanese sweets)
16:15-16:45 Malaysian youth leaders' project (Share about project(s) involved or involving)
16:45-17;30 Discuss about the present condition of enviromental youth activities in Malaysia
17:30-18:00 Discuss about making Climate cool platform in Malaysia and how to join Climate Cool in 2010
18:00- dinner/fellowship

Hope you guys can join us in the meeting :) Please confirm your attendance as early as possible for further arrangement of the meeting.

Best regards,
yeong yze shiuan

p.s.- She's an Undergraduate from UM. If you're interested in the event... please RSVP thru me :-)

MC-ing round 2.

2009-05-26T18:25:00.000+08:00

This is the second time I've placed myself behind the rostrum...

Can't say I enjoyed it as much this time round...

I guess many factors come into play

Including my uncertainty till yesterday evening whether I'd be able to make it... so sorta mentally unprepared to enjoy the experience..

Jia ying told me at 6pm that she couldn't replace me to go to Tanjong Rambutan anymore as she suddenly had a SGD today... boy It felt as If I got my room Hijacked again!

Lucky a Message to Poh Jeann lighted my bulb!
two groups consisting 15 ppl are going together in a 40 person bus to Hospital Bahagia....
Add me in and no one will noe the difference!
So the issue is settled!

Didn't have much banter with my Co-MC this time too...
Maybe I'm too lazy to think up lines when its not assured that the audience would get it...

I didn't dare go to far as the event was semi formal in nature.. with Prof Adeeb and AP Dr Azian (Anatomy) being in the judging panel at separate times...

This time too.. there were a few mistakes in terms of the flow of the event... resulting in Beng Siong's group not having a Q&A session... I feel so sorry for him but I tried...

that dampened my joy somewhat
Coz I know how dejected I would be If I prepared for the Q & A session thoroughly, brainstormed with friends all the possible questions that could be asked, rehearsed the answer over and over but never got a chance to do it for real.

This would result in a lower score for his group... and its not his fault!
indirectly this would probably dash his hopes of going to Jakarta!

To think they prepared for the whole year then something like this happened.

Must have felt like preparing the ingredients of a ten course meal before realizing someone left the gas stove on the whole week... drained the tank!

Oh well.. gained a few insights on how to prepare for my SSM... :-)

And a silly photo of my big silly buddy... Crayon shin chan----扮死尸!
cheering me up!

Invasion of the body Snatchers??!!

2009-05-21T21:01:00.004+08:00

One of the most notorious invasive species known is the Cane toad in Australia,
If not mistaken cats on the Island of Tasmania

Cane toads were originally imported to Aus in the 1980s to control the cane beetles... which are decimating the budding sugarcane industry.

Much to their horror, the toads do not prey selectively upon the beetles, despite their name!

Due to their size, they consume pretty much anything and everything... especially the native Australian frogs which are outcompeted and displaced! The wreak havoc on the Australian Native system and cause a number of species of animals to be threatened.

If that isn't the end of their problem, the toads secrete a noxious substance that cover their bodies... killing anything that tries to eat them! This of course leads to a population explosion and pretty much all of Australia has been colonized...

--G'day Mate! They Call me Toadzilla--

This ecological disaster has not yet been adequately rectified... conservationists are resorting to the last strategy...fencing up un-invaded ponds to protect the native froggies... this time its the size that plays to the toads disadvantage.

and in Malaysia itself....
The red ear terrapins!

Those terrapins or sliders or tortoises.. whatever you call them.. can be found in almost all petshops in Malaysia.

Cute while they are tiny... many outgrow the space in the house and in the hearts of their owners and get abandoned Throughout Malaysia

All the Rivers, Streams, ponds, Lakes are infested with these alien species...
causing native species like the Malayan Box Turtle to be outcompeted and threatened.

PLease educate your friends, relatives and monyet-hood to not buy these little critters if they do not plan to keep them for life.

you are indirectly destroying Malaysian wildlife... Based on limited data.. we known our own turtle is threatened... but how much more impact is undetected?

Stop the invasion of Alien Species...

IN the same vein... Protest against Malaysian Government's repeated attempts to replant all the highways roadsides with ACACIA trees! (as if the Palm Oil plantations are not ENOugh!!

Musings.... Megan Fox?

2009-05-14T21:27:00.006+08:00

Today was a rather moody day...

This time I'll be breaking convention by writing a post on my medical-related life... dunno why I just didn't want my blog to revolve around something that I have to face everyday... but Raoul says go.

I was late for my prof's clinic Which Started at 8!!!
Never knew it would start so early!

then my group mate reminded me to ask about my SSM meeting..
which I kept at the far back of my head...
so half-way thru the clinic I sneaked out to arrange the meeting with our supervisor... Had a merry go round at the basement looking for the office of Dr Azlin... while feeling very stupid for neglecting my duties... heck I don't even know the name of my doctor before they told me..

anyway, got her number so I sorta jubilantly skipped back to the clinic...
and informed them of a 2.00pm meet.

Zahra our ever resourceful mate went one step further to call our supervisor.. this time confirming the time of the meeting to be 2.30p.m. While wanting to forward the message, I discovered I did not the numbers of 3 of my group mates.. Damn I suck.
I left their numbers on a sheet of paper from a week back and never made the effort to key it into my hp... sad.. Neglect no2.

Then I remembered my rather embarassing behaviour last night.. attempting to squirm out of a 3 hour meeting.... only 15 minutes concerned me actually so I felt so stuck with nothing to do... I was fidgety and made a show of leaving quite a few times.. that was rather unbecoming... in front of 3rd year juniors and all. Dunno why I acted the way I did but frankly I'm absolutely not proud of it. But I guess I needed more mental prep for it.. haha...

seems the official record of the longest meeting was 5 hours straight during AGM.
phewwwww.... was lucky that wasn't my first exposure.. :-)

and oh... I had to buy a batik shirt costing RM65!... I didn't know only MTs were required to wear it.... At first I tot it was sponsored.... oh well... Its cooling and... er... It makes a very nice...but rather expensive Pyjamas

Neways... had a gym session later and the endorphin rush brought back my vibe~
was feeling good afters... until I was pestered by the thought of Megan fox being a transexual...

*Argggghhh...who wouldn't remember how this relative unknown sent our hearts galloping the first time she appeared on the silver screen?****

Seems to be the case when she gave an interview...

Megan fox a man?

but lucky it turns out that it just isn't true... heh heh .. lotsa guys are spared the agony of fantasizing over a male all this while... Shhheeeesshhh

Megan fox is a girl after all...Phewww!

Well.... we can sleep easy tonight!!! :-p

Random Rantings.. Rambut Sakit..

2009-04-30T18:59:00.005+08:00

I know I know.. I should really blog about my Redang and Kuala Terengganu 11 day trip.. or maybe even my crystal hill climb... but wo3 ti2 bu4 qi3 jing4 ziiii

So let me digress a bit from the usual yeah

" I am so sick.... that even my hair is painful"

That is one of my favourite hyperboyles ... and I think quite a few people too LOL..

So imagine my suprise when I hear this advertisement in both English and Chinese radio stations by
Follow Me Hair shampoo that promises to give you more beautiful hair

By giving your hair

...wait for it.....

endorphins

to make it happy!

Endorphins are actually (postulated) hormones like serotonin and the like that makes you feel good.. typically released after a guilt ridden trip halfway down a Cadbury Bar

Well.. the advertisement also claims that it's the first shampoo to incorporate endorphins into the long list of shampoo ingredients.. including

"ammonium laueth sulfate, Dimethicone, glycol distearate, guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, ammonium xylenesulfonate, trimethypropane tricaprylate, Methychloroisothiazolinone"
(List taken from PANTENE pro-V)

Well.. we all know about the evils of widely publicized sodium lauryl sulfate...

According to data from the Hazardous Materials Information Resource System, sodium lauryl sulfate, in 90 percent of shampoos and conditioners, corrodes hair follicles and can cause a burning sensation, coughing, wheezing, nausea, headaches and laryngitis. This same ingredient is found in car wash soap, engine degreasers and garage floor cleaners.

ah well that's not too disconcerting....

But this endorphin in a shampoo thing is kinda far-fetched.. no matter how you see it... So what do the individuals hair do when they are happy?

I think They stand up and boogie!

into a Frizz-tangle!

And since they can put happy hormones into your shampoo.. when are they going to make it into an Instant PICK-ME-UP drink;

4 in one Coffee- Coffee, Sugar, Creamer and Happy hormones!

guaranteed to lift your moods.. Chilled or not!

That would certainly make Befrienders go out of business..

They are the first to incorp that into shampoo... and I think they will be the last.

Haiyo

2009-04-26T20:32:00.003+08:00

So sorry..
I just noticed that my photos uploaded to Blogger via picasa doesn't work when my fren's computer couldn't load the pics in my last two posts..

I'm not sure whats wrong but I'll try to remedy it soon.

My Kuala terengganu trip is posted in in reverse.. hope you won;t find it weird.

Due to an unforseen hike to Crystal hill on Saturday morning plus being busy with Moving house... I was too caught up and thus couldn't update the blog.
Hopefully I'll be free soon.

Cheerios! (=^.6=) Have a nice day!

Kuala Terengganu Trip Day 4 (21/4/2008) part 1

2009-04-23T17:59:00.010+08:00

Up early this morn... My destination is the Pasar Kedai Payang.. in search of T'ganu delicacies... as directed by the motorcycle peddler! (2nd stop, the State Museum!)

his specific directions were to find Cik Ibrahim Jual kuih
and look for
1)Cik Abah Demang
2)Kek Ang
3)Peruk ayam (not to be confused with Perut ayam LOL!)

Well I did find him alright,

But he says those are the real traditional cakes... which he does not make...
I Hope he makes it during the Hari Raya, the Malay New Year...

Oh well I will have to be satisfied with my catch of the day

Clockwise from Centre:

1)tepung pelita- mildly fragrant white stuff on top... sugar water jelly mix at the bottom
2)ropah - fried kuih-- something like fried popiah.. yum yum
3)kepah - a glutinous rice tough skin that's grainy in texture with coconut shreds in the centre... too sweet for my liking.. and rather rough on the palate..
4) ??? (but something you can easily find elsewhere so nvm-lah :-p ) top white stuff smells of pandan.. could be the fragrance from the green jelly underneath embedded with small pieces of water chestnut
5)Tepung Pasong - as you can see from the picture below.. the bottom layer is paste mixed with gula melaka.. there's no filling within.

And these other two bites!

1) the golden yellow one is a type of unfried keropok with Kaya in the middle. But the kaya hor... not sweet and the texture in different from the ones we have in southern states... hmmm

2) the other one is called Paung Goreng. its fried in batches of 6-10 and the man snaps them off if you want say, 4 of them only. the middle is made up of coconut shreds and serunding ikan, or shredded fish meat (bak song) Quite nice but really too much for 1 person to handle haha

oh and one more....

Guess the name?
Tip... Web..... and the colour...

Yup!!! you're absolutely correct... It's called jala emas..
It's actually pure egg yolk fried in sugar water... quite unique but I guess it's an acquired taste.

Now for a little suprise...
The price of this Jala Mas equals to the price of all the other Kuihs above!!!

Literally as expensive as emas!!!

-The names of the kuih were provided by a lady I met while taking snapshots of the kuih-

The rest of terengganu kuihs like

satar, puteri mandi, bengkang, asam gumpal, nekbat etc will have to wait...

~~~~~~~~~~~

My bicycle pedal was wobbly since the day before.. with slight squeaky noises which I ignored.. what do you expect from a Bike worth about RM130? Well that little problem will plague me today... to no end...

Yup... the nut on the pedal fell off... sigh.. and I couldn't screw it back on...

Until this friendly newspaper uncle rushed to my rescue out of nowhere.. bringing out a spanner from the deep depths of his bicycle basket but alas... it wasn't the right fit.. but its once again proven to me that people from small towns are just so warm and friendly! He even went to extent of finding a penarik beca to borrow a spanner for me... well... no right fit there too....

so while waiting for the bike shop to open, I went to a Motorcycle shop indicated by the penarik beca to ask for help.. but they weren't too enthusiastic.. simply saying that there's no spanner size fitting my bike. Everyone knows theres such a things as a adjustable spanner... well wat to do when ppl say no?

Oh well.. that lead me to find this place!

Yup i think this is one of the famous stalls selling Nasi Dagang.. but his version only has beef or fish.. That didn't deter the folks from crowding up his small stall lot though... too bad I didn't stop for a try.. the morning breakfast was still filling my tummy...

Whaddayouknow? when I reached the bike shop ( which was still closed) I discovered I lost the nut and the metal washer!!!!

so the frantic me went back to where I last spoke to the Penarik beca and started combing the area... it was around 5 min of treasure hunting before I stumbled on the nut... the washer was nowhere to be found... sigh...

this time... the Trishaw man told me to try my luck at the row of shops just below the bridge to Pulau duyung... that's halfway of my journey to the State Museum.. oh well what the heck.. with 45 minutes before the bike shop opens I'll run the risk of the pedal dropping off instead of wasting my time... off I go!

turns out there are no Bike shops beneath the bridge but a row of hardware shops would do... The washer was given to me for free while I borrowed the adjustable spanner.. DONE! Off we go to the museum!

Kuala Terengganu Trip Day 5

2009-04-23T15:50:00.005+08:00

My fifth day in terengganu

Went to play badminton with the Talk Cafe Uncle and his gang!

~Uncle Tan of The Talk Cafe~

This is like so sudden and cute... minum minum malam tiba tiba kena ajak main badminton dengan orang asing!

As usual, I kena belasah teruk...

there were 8 of them but despite playing for 2 hours, never once did I pair up with Uncle Tan.

Instead I paired up with Uncle Michael (who was the venerated sifu of the Badminton Gang) for 3 matches. For his err.. width... he was really agile and sprinted here and there raining smashes out of nowhere... I look like a rooted tree by comparison. My swaying branches occasionally touches the ball... *sigh*

Hmmmm... My skills went up a few notches around form 2 when playing with the Gang of Gene, Kelvin,Ching wei and occasionally Yafu, and quite a few others I couldn't quite remember..

At that time I was 'known' for my crazy reflexes... and trick services... but dunno what happened afters coz from that period until now It was all downhill for me... with each year I stumble more... grrrr

Trying quite hard to improve... will make extra effort!

After a quite wash-up its up the SANI express bus and back to KL...
And finally say goodbye to good ol' Ping Anchorage...

with Raymond E feist's Honoured enemy to accompany me!

Oh oh!

2009-04-22T23:15:00.005+08:00

Touched down at KL at 8.00pm sharp in a SANI express bus.

this would be the 3rd time I'm taking a double decker... but really.. It's less executive than the Mayang Sari Bus... here's some shots of the Mayang Sari x2 decker..

-Here's the Aircon Console-

- the sadly, unsused flat screen TV-

the seats!

the step by step guide to unfolding the seat table! COOOL!!

So pampered by this form of luxury.. the SANI express coach pales in comparison.. not that it isn't good... hehe

NEways, popped over to Putra World Trade Centre to check out the Kuala Lumpur bookfest there and buy some 4th year books but Sadly they close by 8.. oh well another day then!
FYI it ends this weekend, 26th April so pop there soon if you have the time
9-8 Monday to thursday. 9-9 Fridays to Sundays.

After some spinning arounds, got back at Midah by 9.30...

after checking out facebook... turns out that I am seriously not missed
(no suprise there)

but there I saw another comrade succumbing .......to the back breaking peer pressure to join facebook... Kim chai Hello! :-)

this time I raked up 1062 photos...
will be uploading them soon, hopefully!!

Boy I miss the warmth of Kuala Terengganu..

Pantun Perkasa!

2009-04-08T16:17:00.003+08:00

This was written as a comment to my previous post

but it's so good that It deserves a post on its own!

Good one dekan!

PM Najib sudah datang
Senyum kambing harap dikenang
Bukit Selambau Bukit gantang
Sudah bagi PR menang

apasal PR boleh menang
Mahathir pun sudah bengang
Jawapannya banyak senang
Sebab orang BN banyak bangang

Siapa kata BN bangang
nanti saya tendang dia melayang
kalau betul BN bangang
mana diorang tau main wayang?

Main wayang komedi punya
Budak pun tergelak gelak
kalau rakyat rasa teraniaya
PR menang, BN terbelalak

Apa pasal jadi begini
salah sana salah sini
Bikin macam macam committee
semuanya hanya syok sendiri

Perubahan dijanji tidak sampai
pak lah sudah lari melambai lambai
kalau najib pun kerja terkapai kapai
PRU13 BN pasti bye bye

Negeri Perak satu contoh
Main tipu rampas kuasa
Jangan ingat rakyat bodoh
Makkal Sakhti bagi kau rasa

Syed Hamid banyak kelakar
alasan bodoh rata rata
"Masuk ISA bukan suka suka
ISA itu lindungi rakyat jelata"

BN hari hari kata dah dengar
suara semua lapisan rakyat jelata
Tindakan yang diambil tidak ada
sampai rakyat dah jelak berkata

Ahhh... dekan, anda Mengasah Pisau Untuk Pertandingan berpantun ke?
Ni Top Quality!!