Here's something interesting about how we're impacting our world.
Watch this video.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
ICU
I regret to announce that this blog is currently under sedation in the intensive care unit for treatment of inactivititis. Recovery is expected to take a while. In the meantime, a Loyal Commission of Inquiry will be established to determine how this blog deteriorated to its current moribund state. A full and impartial investigation will be launched, leaving no stone unturned. I hope the same will happen with the investigation into the late Teoh Beng Hock's death. It's sad to see that one critical thing that the government needs now is what it lacks: credibility.
On another note, I was in Tioman three weeks ago, and I saw more impressive sea creatures while snorkelling than while diving*. I was pleasantly surprised that the house reef just off the beach at the southern end of Salang bay hosted bumphead parrotfish, a moray eel and some razorfish, which are creatures we normally see only when diving at less accessible sites. There was a turtle too, but I was most pleased to see the small school of five bumphead parrotfish, each about one metre long. They hung around the reef in usually in the late afternoon and allowed us close encounters. We went snorkelling on Monday afternoon, Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning, and all three times we saw the bumphead parrotfish. The only other times I've ever seen bumphead parrotfish were while diving at Perhentian and Sipadan. I guess I'll have to change my impression of Tioman. I previously assumed that since Tioman was getting very developed and well-visited, the nearshore marine environment would have deteriorated and become rather lifeless. So I was proven wrong, apparently.
*[ We dived at Chebeh and Malang Rock. Chebeh had nice swim-through passages under the boulders, plus colourful sea fans and nudibranchs. I caught a glimpse of a blacktip shark at Malang Rock but the visibility was too poor for us to spot any whale sharks. :P ]
But, I must still say, the conditions on land are not very appealing. The little river flowing to the sea at Salang is filled with untreated or minimally treated wastewater from restaurant kitchens and chalet bathrooms. The river bed is mucky with an awful black colour, and there's a foul odour at certain times. It's only because of the incoming and outgoing tides flushing the river mouth that the river doesn't become more dirty. At high tide the river stops flowing and the icky water acculumates. Then at low tide, the river drains out to the sea, taking with it all the dirty water. The next high tide brings in (relatively) clear sea water. But that just means that the yucky river water is being diluted into the sea. Well, the river condition is not THAT bad (not like the Klang River), but it's certainly not befitting of a tropical marine park island. It gets worse during weekends and peak tourist seasons when more visitors result in more dinner plates washed and toilets flushed.
In the bigger picture, there's some sort of trade-off. If visitors want cheap accommodation and food, then I suppose the operators won't be able to afford the investment in proper wastewater treatment systems. But I'm not sure if the chalet operators are earning lucrative incomes or scraping by with the minimum. Some visitors would say that they are already paying so much for their spartan chalet and restaurant food on the island. Well, price is relative, but is value relative too? Would you be willing to pay more for your visit if you knew that the money is used to take care of the wastes that you generate? There's no free lunch, and no free toilet flush either.
Indah Water is planning to build a proper extended aeration activated sludge centralized sewage treatment plant at Salang and Tekek. The EIA was approved in July 2008, but I'm not sure when the project will start and be completed. Let's hope that the project will do good and not cause more damage, or become a white elephant (new species on the island). Indah Water will probably be charging the chalet and restaurant operators for sewerage fees... and I wonder if the operators will pay the fees or even connect their sewerage pipes to the treatment plant in the first place. Do you pay your Indah Water bills?
On another note, I was in Tioman three weeks ago, and I saw more impressive sea creatures while snorkelling than while diving*. I was pleasantly surprised that the house reef just off the beach at the southern end of Salang bay hosted bumphead parrotfish, a moray eel and some razorfish, which are creatures we normally see only when diving at less accessible sites. There was a turtle too, but I was most pleased to see the small school of five bumphead parrotfish, each about one metre long. They hung around the reef in usually in the late afternoon and allowed us close encounters. We went snorkelling on Monday afternoon, Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning, and all three times we saw the bumphead parrotfish. The only other times I've ever seen bumphead parrotfish were while diving at Perhentian and Sipadan. I guess I'll have to change my impression of Tioman. I previously assumed that since Tioman was getting very developed and well-visited, the nearshore marine environment would have deteriorated and become rather lifeless. So I was proven wrong, apparently.
*[ We dived at Chebeh and Malang Rock. Chebeh had nice swim-through passages under the boulders, plus colourful sea fans and nudibranchs. I caught a glimpse of a blacktip shark at Malang Rock but the visibility was too poor for us to spot any whale sharks. :P ]
But, I must still say, the conditions on land are not very appealing. The little river flowing to the sea at Salang is filled with untreated or minimally treated wastewater from restaurant kitchens and chalet bathrooms. The river bed is mucky with an awful black colour, and there's a foul odour at certain times. It's only because of the incoming and outgoing tides flushing the river mouth that the river doesn't become more dirty. At high tide the river stops flowing and the icky water acculumates. Then at low tide, the river drains out to the sea, taking with it all the dirty water. The next high tide brings in (relatively) clear sea water. But that just means that the yucky river water is being diluted into the sea. Well, the river condition is not THAT bad (not like the Klang River), but it's certainly not befitting of a tropical marine park island. It gets worse during weekends and peak tourist seasons when more visitors result in more dinner plates washed and toilets flushed.
In the bigger picture, there's some sort of trade-off. If visitors want cheap accommodation and food, then I suppose the operators won't be able to afford the investment in proper wastewater treatment systems. But I'm not sure if the chalet operators are earning lucrative incomes or scraping by with the minimum. Some visitors would say that they are already paying so much for their spartan chalet and restaurant food on the island. Well, price is relative, but is value relative too? Would you be willing to pay more for your visit if you knew that the money is used to take care of the wastes that you generate? There's no free lunch, and no free toilet flush either.
Indah Water is planning to build a proper extended aeration activated sludge centralized sewage treatment plant at Salang and Tekek. The EIA was approved in July 2008, but I'm not sure when the project will start and be completed. Let's hope that the project will do good and not cause more damage, or become a white elephant (new species on the island). Indah Water will probably be charging the chalet and restaurant operators for sewerage fees... and I wonder if the operators will pay the fees or even connect their sewerage pipes to the treatment plant in the first place. Do you pay your Indah Water bills?
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Resurrection Sunday
I love this song.
LOVE CRUCIFIED AROSE
Scribbling in the Sand: The Best of Michael Card (2002)
Long ago, He blessed the earth
Born older than the years
And in the stall, a cross He saw
Through the first of many tears
A life of homeless wandering
Cast out in sorrow's way
The Shepherd seeking for the lost
His life the price He'd pay
Love crucified arose
The Risen One in splendor
Jehovah's soul-defender
Has won the victory!
Love crucified arose
And the grave became a place of hope
For the heart that sin and sorrow broke
Is beating once again!
Throughout Your life, You felt the weight
Of what You'd come to give
To drink for us that crimson cup
So we might really live
At last, the time to love and die -
The dark appointed day
That one forsaken moment when
Your Father turned His face away
Love crucified arose
The One who lived and died for me
Was Satan's nail-pierced casualty
Now He's breathing once again!
Love crucified arose
And the grave became a place of hope
For the heart that sin and sorrow broke
Is beating once again!
LOVE CRUCIFIED AROSE
Scribbling in the Sand: The Best of Michael Card (2002)
Long ago, He blessed the earth
Born older than the years
And in the stall, a cross He saw
Through the first of many tears
A life of homeless wandering
Cast out in sorrow's way
The Shepherd seeking for the lost
His life the price He'd pay
Love crucified arose
The Risen One in splendor
Jehovah's soul-defender
Has won the victory!
Love crucified arose
And the grave became a place of hope
For the heart that sin and sorrow broke
Is beating once again!
Throughout Your life, You felt the weight
Of what You'd come to give
To drink for us that crimson cup
So we might really live
At last, the time to love and die -
The dark appointed day
That one forsaken moment when
Your Father turned His face away
Love crucified arose
The One who lived and died for me
Was Satan's nail-pierced casualty
Now He's breathing once again!
Love crucified arose
And the grave became a place of hope
For the heart that sin and sorrow broke
Is beating once again!
Friday, April 10, 2009
TGIF
Today is Good Friday.
"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God!
He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57
"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God!
He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:55-57
Monday, April 06, 2009
Passion.CoM
This is the Passion week. Here's a reenactment of Simon of Cyrene's experience, as imagined by Ray Boltz...
CoM = Christ our Messiah
CoM = Christ our Messiah
Friday, April 03, 2009
Diver Identification 101
I don't know of any diving courses that teach this. I haven't seen it in any syllabus. I'm talking about diver identification underwater. How do you recognize your buddies and fellow divers while you're all underwater? You can't talk, obviously, and you can't hear very well. You can hear sounds but they're all muffled and you can't locate the direction of the sound source. One of the most dreaded sounds is the drone of a ship or the buzz of an outboard motor overhead. You don't know where it is coming from, how near it is, whether it is headed your direction, whether it's going to pass over you, whether it's going to hit you as you ascend... it's definitely not a nice feeling to be hit by a boat propeller. It's like, see you in heaven, and make sure you get there (but it's already too late to do anything about it at that time anyway).
Anyway, I was just making the point that it's really difficult to communicate by sound, and impossible to speak unless you have those funky underwater radio communication systems. It doesn't help that tank bangers and shakers sound the same. So when you hear a sound and look around, how do you recognize your buddies? It's important to know who is who so that you know where your buddies are, if anyone is lost, or just so that you can "talk" to the right person.
Thus divers rely on visual communication such as hand signs. And to identify my buddies, I look for visual cues and identification features as follows:
1. Bubbles
The #1 telltale sign of a diver is the bubbles, which can be seen from far away. This is the first step, to identify that a diver is present. Bubbles reflect light, and stand out as silvery trails rising upward against the backdrop of blue or green or whatever colour the water is. The only problem is when visibility is bad, then you have to really strain your eyes to spot the bubbles.
It's easy to spot a diver once you trace the source of bubbles. Even if there is a visual obstruction in between the other diver and you, such as a boulder or coral outcrop, you can still see the bubbles rising above the obstruction. Another thing about bubbles is that they are the only way to spot a diver from above water, unless the water is so clear that you can see to the bottom.
Bubbles tell you that a diver is there, but it's almost impossible to tell who that diver is, unless you know that diver's bubble pattern! Like I said, it's almost impossible, so to identify a diver you need more definitive clues...
2. Tank
Scuba tanks are big and usually bright yellow, or shiny aluminium. So they're really useful for spotting a diver from afar, such as in situations when I have lagged behind the group to play with a cuttlefish and I need to locate my buddies to regroup. I know, diving mantra #1 is to always dive with a buddy, but sometimes the buddy wanders away, or I linger while the buddy moves on. Ah, well. Just look for the bright, shiny tank. Sometimes the dive operator has different colour tanks, so I can identify who's who by matching the tank to the diver, but I would need to remember before the dive who is using which type of tank. For example, Diver A = yellow tank, Diver B = silver tank, Diver C = yellow tank with badly peeled off paint, Diver D = silver tank with sticker, etc. The problem is, usually the tanks are changed for each dive, so you have to recalibrate the ID before a dive. But if the tanks are all the same colour, then, too bad.
3. Fins
Fins are really useful identification clues. As there are many brands and models of fins on the market, usually each diver would have a different type. Fins are also very visible from far especially as many types of fins are brightly coloured and have distinctive patterns, except the black ones. I find this one of the most useful identifying features. I usually look for the fins first. A positive ID of the fins and wetsuit (below) is usually enough to identify who's who.
4. Wetsuit
The wetsuit is useful for identifying a diver as wetsuits come in different patterns, designs and colours. The designs on the legs and arms are the most visible, so I look out for them too while looking at the fins. Some wetsuits are full length, some are shorties. Wetsuits are visible from far as they cover most of the body of the diver. But if everyone is wearing similar wetsuits, e.g. they're all rented from the same operator, or if everyone is wearing black, then you'll have to look for other ID features. Some divers wear beanies over their head. Some wear sleeveless vests. Some divers don't wear wetsuits.
5. BC & Regulator
It's easy to identify a diver based on the buoyancy compensator (BC) a.k.a. buoyancy compensating device (BCD). BC's are visible from far, and have different designs, patterns and colours. The problem is when divers have the same model of BC, or similar looking BCs, as is often the case with rented equipment.
Another identifying feature is the regulator, but this is not so obvious because it is rather small. You could also look at the arrangement of the hoses, e.g. how the octopus is attached, the colour of the octopus hose (yellow or black?), whether the pressure gauge is clipped on or dangling below and leaving a trail of destruction as it drags over the corals. (In such cases you should swim over and politely help the diver to tuck or clip the gauge to their BC. If he/she refuses, turn off his/her air. Haha. Just kidding.)
6. Mask / Snorkel
This is a bit harder to use as an identifying feature because you can't really see the mask until up close, in which case you would already be able to see the diver. But if the diver has a snorkel attached to the mask, then it's a pretty conspicuous item visible from far. It also helps that snorkels tend to be brightly coloured.
7. Other Gear
Some divers wear gloves. Many wear dive computers nowadays. You can also look for other clipped-on gear, like the reel, or sausage, or torchlight, or pointer, or any other device. A photographer will be carrying a camera, so you know who he/she is. If there is a whole group of photographers, then you gotta figure out which camera belongs to whom. It's pretty easy as cameras and their flashguns are big, chunky items. Yea, you know for sure that a photographer is around when you see a flash firing.
8. Personal Traits and Habits
What I mean is, each diver has his/her own characteristic diving traits and habits. It's like, on land you recognize a person's body shape, or a person's gait, or the way he sits, or the way she folds her arms, or the usual hangouts of a person. Same thing underwater. Look at the diver's body shape (I shall not comment on this, except to say that divers look different from fish). Each diver also has his/her own style of diving. Some divers like to zip around here and there. Some like to move slowly. Some look like they're lost. Some look like they know where they're going. Some lead. Some just follow. Some hover horizontally. Some hover vertically (I notice that it is generally easier for ladies to maintain a horizontal hovering position while motionless). Some like to swim close to the bottom, while yet others like to hover above everyone else, like a helicopter mothership. Photographers will usually be glued to one spot for a while, or be crowding around one poor little creature at the bottom, or nowhere to be seen. Photographers also tend to get left behind, so if someone is missing, it's probably the photographer. Thus you can tell who is who by observing where they are. You can also watch out for a diver's fin kick pattern. Some fin hard, some fin slow. Some use the frog-style kick, some use the up-down kick. Usually beginners will use their hands and arms a lot, but as you get more experienced you hardly use your arms.
9. Anything Else
Whatever you can find. Anything unique.
In short, use a combination of the above to differentiate and identify each diver. Happy diving, and appreciate your uniqueness. :)
Anyway, I was just making the point that it's really difficult to communicate by sound, and impossible to speak unless you have those funky underwater radio communication systems. It doesn't help that tank bangers and shakers sound the same. So when you hear a sound and look around, how do you recognize your buddies? It's important to know who is who so that you know where your buddies are, if anyone is lost, or just so that you can "talk" to the right person.
Thus divers rely on visual communication such as hand signs. And to identify my buddies, I look for visual cues and identification features as follows:
1. Bubbles
The #1 telltale sign of a diver is the bubbles, which can be seen from far away. This is the first step, to identify that a diver is present. Bubbles reflect light, and stand out as silvery trails rising upward against the backdrop of blue or green or whatever colour the water is. The only problem is when visibility is bad, then you have to really strain your eyes to spot the bubbles.
It's easy to spot a diver once you trace the source of bubbles. Even if there is a visual obstruction in between the other diver and you, such as a boulder or coral outcrop, you can still see the bubbles rising above the obstruction. Another thing about bubbles is that they are the only way to spot a diver from above water, unless the water is so clear that you can see to the bottom.
Bubbles tell you that a diver is there, but it's almost impossible to tell who that diver is, unless you know that diver's bubble pattern! Like I said, it's almost impossible, so to identify a diver you need more definitive clues...
2. Tank
Scuba tanks are big and usually bright yellow, or shiny aluminium. So they're really useful for spotting a diver from afar, such as in situations when I have lagged behind the group to play with a cuttlefish and I need to locate my buddies to regroup. I know, diving mantra #1 is to always dive with a buddy, but sometimes the buddy wanders away, or I linger while the buddy moves on. Ah, well. Just look for the bright, shiny tank. Sometimes the dive operator has different colour tanks, so I can identify who's who by matching the tank to the diver, but I would need to remember before the dive who is using which type of tank. For example, Diver A = yellow tank, Diver B = silver tank, Diver C = yellow tank with badly peeled off paint, Diver D = silver tank with sticker, etc. The problem is, usually the tanks are changed for each dive, so you have to recalibrate the ID before a dive. But if the tanks are all the same colour, then, too bad.
3. Fins
Fins are really useful identification clues. As there are many brands and models of fins on the market, usually each diver would have a different type. Fins are also very visible from far especially as many types of fins are brightly coloured and have distinctive patterns, except the black ones. I find this one of the most useful identifying features. I usually look for the fins first. A positive ID of the fins and wetsuit (below) is usually enough to identify who's who.
4. Wetsuit
The wetsuit is useful for identifying a diver as wetsuits come in different patterns, designs and colours. The designs on the legs and arms are the most visible, so I look out for them too while looking at the fins. Some wetsuits are full length, some are shorties. Wetsuits are visible from far as they cover most of the body of the diver. But if everyone is wearing similar wetsuits, e.g. they're all rented from the same operator, or if everyone is wearing black, then you'll have to look for other ID features. Some divers wear beanies over their head. Some wear sleeveless vests. Some divers don't wear wetsuits.
5. BC & Regulator
It's easy to identify a diver based on the buoyancy compensator (BC) a.k.a. buoyancy compensating device (BCD). BC's are visible from far, and have different designs, patterns and colours. The problem is when divers have the same model of BC, or similar looking BCs, as is often the case with rented equipment.
Another identifying feature is the regulator, but this is not so obvious because it is rather small. You could also look at the arrangement of the hoses, e.g. how the octopus is attached, the colour of the octopus hose (yellow or black?), whether the pressure gauge is clipped on or dangling below and leaving a trail of destruction as it drags over the corals. (In such cases you should swim over and politely help the diver to tuck or clip the gauge to their BC. If he/she refuses, turn off his/her air. Haha. Just kidding.)
6. Mask / Snorkel
This is a bit harder to use as an identifying feature because you can't really see the mask until up close, in which case you would already be able to see the diver. But if the diver has a snorkel attached to the mask, then it's a pretty conspicuous item visible from far. It also helps that snorkels tend to be brightly coloured.
7. Other Gear
Some divers wear gloves. Many wear dive computers nowadays. You can also look for other clipped-on gear, like the reel, or sausage, or torchlight, or pointer, or any other device. A photographer will be carrying a camera, so you know who he/she is. If there is a whole group of photographers, then you gotta figure out which camera belongs to whom. It's pretty easy as cameras and their flashguns are big, chunky items. Yea, you know for sure that a photographer is around when you see a flash firing.
8. Personal Traits and Habits
What I mean is, each diver has his/her own characteristic diving traits and habits. It's like, on land you recognize a person's body shape, or a person's gait, or the way he sits, or the way she folds her arms, or the usual hangouts of a person. Same thing underwater. Look at the diver's body shape (I shall not comment on this, except to say that divers look different from fish). Each diver also has his/her own style of diving. Some divers like to zip around here and there. Some like to move slowly. Some look like they're lost. Some look like they know where they're going. Some lead. Some just follow. Some hover horizontally. Some hover vertically (I notice that it is generally easier for ladies to maintain a horizontal hovering position while motionless). Some like to swim close to the bottom, while yet others like to hover above everyone else, like a helicopter mothership. Photographers will usually be glued to one spot for a while, or be crowding around one poor little creature at the bottom, or nowhere to be seen. Photographers also tend to get left behind, so if someone is missing, it's probably the photographer. Thus you can tell who is who by observing where they are. You can also watch out for a diver's fin kick pattern. Some fin hard, some fin slow. Some use the frog-style kick, some use the up-down kick. Usually beginners will use their hands and arms a lot, but as you get more experienced you hardly use your arms.
9. Anything Else
Whatever you can find. Anything unique.
In short, use a combination of the above to differentiate and identify each diver. Happy diving, and appreciate your uniqueness. :)
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
9 Island
Sunrise over the Straits of Malacca...
...and
Sunset over the Straits of Malacca.
From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the LORD is to be praised.
Psalm 113:3
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Kegersangan kata
The blogospheric pressure has been dropping lately. It has been getting harder and harder to crank up the creative cranial juices to churn out a decent blog post. The juices are drying up. This is partly due to the fact that one of my favourite topics, i.e. politix, has been getting too predictable. It's the same old story -- BN big boys using their financial and political big sticks to whack the Opposition, the judiciary, Parliament, royalty and the media into docile submission. And we the people quietly watch, because we're afraid to rock the boat. Hello, the boat is leaking. It's time to make some noise. If you are not making any noise, at least pray lah. Yea, I need to do more of both. There are really exciting events waiting to unfold.
Hmmm, what can I say about the ekonomi? I'm just glad they didn't privatize Bank Negara. It just boggles my mind that the folks who should know what they are doing are now telling us that they didn't foresee this global economic mess. My heart goes out to President Obama and his team as they try to fix the terminal illness of corporate America. Perhaps it's not corporate America that started the problem. It's plain old human nature.
What if I talked about another favourite topic -- diving. But I'm afraid I don't have enough time to start and finish a proper story. I haven't even started writing about my Sipadan dive trip in May last year, and it's already the end of March this year. Oh well, since I'm on it, I would just like to say that Sipadan is still easily one of the best dive sites in the world. It's one of those places where I would (gladly) wake up at 5AM to go diving, and do six dives a day. Oh yea, last year I finally saw the legendary school of barracudas at Barracuda Point. On my first trip to Sipadan in 2005 I dived at Barracuda Point four times but didn't see a single barracuda. So, seeing the barracudas swim by in the hundreds was truly a sight to behold. Too bad they didn't swim around us in their signature vortex formation. Perhaps next time? Haha. And I'm still waiting to see the nudibranch vortex that our one-screw-loose divemaster was raving about. ;P
OK, another diving story. I was at the Pulau Sembilan group of islands two weeks ago. I got a nice sunburn despite staying (or, trying to stay) in the shade. The diving was OK lah. Visibility was terrible, but we saw seahorses and one frogfish. Some of us thought we felt a whale shark swim by, but the viz was too poor for us to see clearly. Haha. But the food on board the Kaleebso was superb. The only thing I don't like about the live aboard dive boat is the waste management. It cuts my heart to even think about how they disposed of our sewage and garbage, so I shall not talk about it. Oh man, and to think that I was one of the sources of the problem.
I think that's enough for now. Till the next post, I bid thee farewell. Drink lots of water and eat fruits.
Hmmm, what can I say about the ekonomi? I'm just glad they didn't privatize Bank Negara. It just boggles my mind that the folks who should know what they are doing are now telling us that they didn't foresee this global economic mess. My heart goes out to President Obama and his team as they try to fix the terminal illness of corporate America. Perhaps it's not corporate America that started the problem. It's plain old human nature.
What if I talked about another favourite topic -- diving. But I'm afraid I don't have enough time to start and finish a proper story. I haven't even started writing about my Sipadan dive trip in May last year, and it's already the end of March this year. Oh well, since I'm on it, I would just like to say that Sipadan is still easily one of the best dive sites in the world. It's one of those places where I would (gladly) wake up at 5AM to go diving, and do six dives a day. Oh yea, last year I finally saw the legendary school of barracudas at Barracuda Point. On my first trip to Sipadan in 2005 I dived at Barracuda Point four times but didn't see a single barracuda. So, seeing the barracudas swim by in the hundreds was truly a sight to behold. Too bad they didn't swim around us in their signature vortex formation. Perhaps next time? Haha. And I'm still waiting to see the nudibranch vortex that our one-screw-loose divemaster was raving about. ;P
OK, another diving story. I was at the Pulau Sembilan group of islands two weeks ago. I got a nice sunburn despite staying (or, trying to stay) in the shade. The diving was OK lah. Visibility was terrible, but we saw seahorses and one frogfish. Some of us thought we felt a whale shark swim by, but the viz was too poor for us to see clearly. Haha. But the food on board the Kaleebso was superb. The only thing I don't like about the live aboard dive boat is the waste management. It cuts my heart to even think about how they disposed of our sewage and garbage, so I shall not talk about it. Oh man, and to think that I was one of the sources of the problem.
I think that's enough for now. Till the next post, I bid thee farewell. Drink lots of water and eat fruits.
Friday, March 06, 2009
Parlez-vous français?
It's amazing that a French journalist has unearthed more "evidence" in just three months of investigation than the Malaysian mainstream media has been able to figure out in three years. Well, perhaps they've known about this all the while, but were just too chicken to publish it. I guess now we can C4 ourselves a little bit more of what went on behind the scenes, thanks to Monsieur Journaliste. Merci beaucoup.
Mais prenez garde! Il est explosif!
Mais prenez garde! Il est explosif!
Thursday, March 05, 2009
One for the count
There are two kinds of BN politicians.
The corrupt, and the incompetent.
There are three kinds of people in this world.
Those who can count, and those who can't.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Eco-Assembly
I read with incredulity that the Perak state assembly Speaker V. Sivakumar convened a state assembly meeting under a rain tree (Samanea saman) in the state secretariat car park. Whatever the outcome of this current debacle, I must say that today's meeting will go down in modern history as the most eco-friendly state assembly meeting ever. Outdoor, under a tree, natural lighting, natural ventilation.
Hmmm, perhaps they should do that once in a while for Parliament sessions too. Conserve energy. And even if it rains it won't make much difference.
OK, I must remember to take a picture with that tree the next time I visit Ipoh.
Perak Boleh!
Hmmm, perhaps they should do that once in a while for Parliament sessions too. Conserve energy. And even if it rains it won't make much difference.
OK, I must remember to take a picture with that tree the next time I visit Ipoh.
Perak Boleh!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Maximum returns
I do not understand why Umno has to send someone all the way to London to seek the advice of a Queen's Counsel on the Perak political quagmire when there are so many lawyers back home in KL. But since they're already asking the QC, I thought it would make cents if they also threw in a few other questions just to maximize the returns on their consultation time. Questions like, What was the original intention and spirit of the ISA, since it was the British who started the idea of preventive detention? Should the ISA be used against Communist insurgents only, or against anyone in general? Where have all the Communist insurgents gone?
Monday, February 09, 2009
Farewell, Markus
Gazing at the late Markus Ng as he lay in peace in the casket, I couldn't help but notice the poignancy of the items that lay there beside him: A bilingual English-Chinese Bible, a black cap with the words "Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia" proudly embroidered in gold across the front, a box of his name cards with the credentials "Anak Bangsa Malaysia", and some colourful guitar picks. No doubt, they were symbols of his passion and purpose in life, and even in death.
I thought to myself... What can I take with me when I go? What will I leave behind?
In his "short" life of 23+ years on earth, Markus has made a big impact in many people's lives. It's ironic that many of us who were touched by his life didn't realize it until he was gone. He leaves us his legacy.
I do not understand why God called Markus home so early and so suddenly, but I know God's ways are higher than ours. God's will is perfect, so we rest assured. Yea, Markus' life was short, but definitely full.
Markus, you were one of those guys I would have liked to get to know better. Your youthful passion tempered with mature ideals belied a man beyond your years. Your burning desire to see a diverse yet united nation of Malaysia was visionary and exemplary. Truly, you were more than qualified to carry the title "anak bangsa Malaysia". Your love for God was as great as your love for your neighbour. Your commitment to the cause of justice shone as bright as your friendly smile. I was impressed by your poetic eloquence in Bahasa Malaysia, in those pantun that you often posted on Facebook. It's a pity I only found out at your wake that you had so many other accomplishments, and played the guitar and sang so well. And I'm sorry I still haven't attended any of those anti-ISA candlelight vigils which you talked excitedly about.
Markus,
You have fought the good fight,
you have finished the race,
you have kept the faith.
I know you are in an incomprehensibly better place, the best place ever. But those of us who linger on here on earth will still miss you, because we're just human. I know some will miss you much more than others will, and the grief may wash in and out of our consciousness over time. We'll meet again, but in the meantime, you are not with us, and that hurts.
I thank God for your life that you have shared with us. I thank you for inspiring us.
Now, I am challenged to live another day, and to make it count for eternity. Live with no regrets.
I thought to myself... What can I take with me when I go? What will I leave behind?
In his "short" life of 23+ years on earth, Markus has made a big impact in many people's lives. It's ironic that many of us who were touched by his life didn't realize it until he was gone. He leaves us his legacy.
I do not understand why God called Markus home so early and so suddenly, but I know God's ways are higher than ours. God's will is perfect, so we rest assured. Yea, Markus' life was short, but definitely full.
Markus, you were one of those guys I would have liked to get to know better. Your youthful passion tempered with mature ideals belied a man beyond your years. Your burning desire to see a diverse yet united nation of Malaysia was visionary and exemplary. Truly, you were more than qualified to carry the title "anak bangsa Malaysia". Your love for God was as great as your love for your neighbour. Your commitment to the cause of justice shone as bright as your friendly smile. I was impressed by your poetic eloquence in Bahasa Malaysia, in those pantun that you often posted on Facebook. It's a pity I only found out at your wake that you had so many other accomplishments, and played the guitar and sang so well. And I'm sorry I still haven't attended any of those anti-ISA candlelight vigils which you talked excitedly about.
Markus,
You have fought the good fight,
you have finished the race,
you have kept the faith.
I know you are in an incomprehensibly better place, the best place ever. But those of us who linger on here on earth will still miss you, because we're just human. I know some will miss you much more than others will, and the grief may wash in and out of our consciousness over time. We'll meet again, but in the meantime, you are not with us, and that hurts.
I thank God for your life that you have shared with us. I thank you for inspiring us.
Now, I am challenged to live another day, and to make it count for eternity. Live with no regrets.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
